A MAN whose left arm was crushed between two rollers on a printing machine has been praised for his bravery.

The 21-year-old man was working at G & A Printers Ltd in Bonham Drive on the Eurolink Industrial Estate at Sittingbourne when the accident happened just before 8.30pm on Friday.

Fire crews from Sittingbourne and Teynham and paramedics spent about an hour at the scene.

The man, believed to be from the Sittingbourne area, remained conscious and coherent throughout the ordeal and even used his knowledge of the machine to help firefighters dismantle it.

Once the bolts had been removed, firefighters used ropes to lift the rollers from his crushed limb.

Fire crew manager Steve Adams, based at Sittingbourne Fire Station, said: “He was a very, very brave young man and he, despite his injuries, was able to give us a lot of information on how to dismantle the machine.

“Without his help it would have been far more difficult. He had the presence of mind and really the courage to be able to carry on. The rescue went quite smoothly because of his help.”

The casualty was taken to Gillingham's Medway Maritime Hospital, although it is believed he may since have been transferred to a special unit at East Grinstead in West Sussex.

A Health and Safety Executive duty officer said the incident had been reported and would be passed on the its regional office on Monday for investigation.