A PUB landlord is recovering at home today after becoming trapped in the cellar when he injured his back.

David Whittle, who took over the Woolpack in Haslingden in February, had to be lifted from the cellar by firefighters after straining his back lifting beer barrels.

Paramedics were called to the pub in Manchester Road at noon on Thursday to find Mr Whittle in agony.

Because of the nature of his injury and the location the call turned into a rescue mission involving crews from Rawtenstall and Accrington Fire Brigade.

Paramedic Icky Masters was first to arrive at the scene with colleague Linda Horn.

He said: "When we got there we found the landlord in the cellar in quite a lot of pain. The staircase leading up to the pub was spiral and it would have been totally impossible to get our long-board stretcher up there so the only way out was through the beer-drop where the beer barrels come in. It turned out to be a full-blown rescue."

After stabilising Mr Whittle, 45, and giving him gas and air for the pain, paramedics called firefighters from Rawtenstall, who enrolled colleagues from Accrington's incident support unit.

Leading firefighter George Mullaney said: "A basket stretcher was required to get him up through the flap where they lower the beer. We secured him and then gently winched him up. It was a very delicate operation."

Mr Whittle was taken to Burnley General Hospital for treatment and released after a couple of hours.

He is now recovering at the pub. His wife Mary, licensee at the newly refurbished pub, said: "His back muscles went into spasm as he was rolling the barrels and he's going to have to rest for a couple of days.

"The fire and ambulance crews were marvellous."