FIRE crews were called to a Winsford factory after a worker suffering from heat exhaustion collapsed inside a silo.

Rescuers used specialist equipment to remove the 20-year-old from the chamber at Colin Stewart Minchem Ltd on Weaver Valley Road.

The incident happened at 12.45pm on Thursday and it took fire crews more than an hour to get the man to safety.

He was taken to Leighton Hospital with an arm injury and suffering from heat exhaustion.

Firefighter Ronnie Moore from Winsford Fire Station, said: "The casualty was steam cleaning inside the silo but when he tried to get out of the silo via a rope ladder he became weak leading to his fall and condition.

"Because of the difficulty in reaching the man it was an extremely tricky rescue."