A 68-year-old Mid Sussex man was knocked off his motorbike and then run over as he went for help.

Remarkably, retired engineer Peter Merrifield escaped with a badly-bruised knee and was kept in hospital for less than two hours after being hit on a dual carriageway.

Mr Merrifield, of Trinity Road, Hurstpierpoint, had pulled over on the westbound carriageway of the A27, near Lancing Manor roundabout, at 6.15pm on Wednesday.

He was waiting for a friend on another bike to catch up when a car clipped the side of his BMW bike and sent him hurtling to the ground.

Dazed but unhurt, Mr Merrifield picked himself up and, having swapped insurance details with the other driver, prepared to continue his journey.

However, he had problems starting his damaged 1,000cc bike and a passer-by offered to wheel it to his house around the corner.

As he followed, Mr Merrifield walked to a nearby pelican crossing, pushed the button, waited for the green man and started to cross.

However, a driver in a car travelling westward failed to see the red light in the low sun. The impact sent Mr Merrifield flying over the bonnet on to the carriageway.

Ambulance crews were on the scene within minutes and Mr Merrifield, still conscious, was strapped to a spine board and had a neck brace put on him.

He was taken to Worthing Hospital where doctors could find little wrong with him apart from his severely bruised knee.

Mr Merrifield was philosophical about his ordeal and praised the emergency services who helped him.

He said: "Both the drivers involved were very apologetic and admitted liability.

"It seems they were both blinded by the sun, which was very low at the time.

"I do not know if I was lucky or unlucky - a bit of both I suppose.

"The doctors said without my protective knee pads my injuries would have been a lot worse.

"My leg is so sore I will not be able to get in my car, let alone on my bike for a while but this has not put me off.

"After all, I was stationary in the first accident and a pedestrian in the next."