TWO workmen were buried under a pile of masonry and rubble after the wall they were working on collapsed on top of them last week. Firecrews from Morecambe had to dig out demolition workers, Gerard Briggs and Jamie Hancock, from under eight tonnes of rubble at a building site next to the Clarendon Hotel in Albert Rd. A third workman, John Graves, escaped with an injured ankle, and directed firecrews to his buried colleagues.

The men were working for Heysham-based Stephen Hancock Ltd, who had been sub-contracted by Lancaster's Mitchell's Brewery. Mr Briggs was treated for serious facial injuries and Mr Hancock was treated for a fractured pelvis at Royal Lancaster Infirmary. Both are said to be 'stable' and the Health and Safety Executive has been called in to investigate.

Sub Officer, Bob Taylor, was at the scene and said: "They were trapped under a wall which had collapsed at the site of an old shop at the junction of Albert Road and Marine Road. They had been working on the gable end and were buried under eight to 10 tonnes of masonry and rubble. It took about 10 minutes to clear the debris from the two men and another 10 minutes to get them out. They were badly injured and treated at the scene by paramedics before being taken to hospital. They were completely under the rubble and are lucky to be alive."

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