Man rescued from bin lorry after falling asleep in a skip

A man had a "very lucky escape" today when he was almost crushed in a bin lorry after falling asleep in a skip, a fire service said today.

The man, who has not been named but is believed to be of Eastern European origin, awoke to find himself in the back of the lorry in Birmingham shortly after 5am.

He had been hidden under debris in the skip as it was emptied into the truck, and refuse collectors had switched on the vehicle's compressors, unaware he was trapped inside.