A man became trapped by the legs after a tree he was cutting into logs rolled on to him.

The fire bridgade used specialist lifting gear to hoist the tree off him and he was recovering in hospital today.

Station Officer Dave Lack, of Tangmere fire station, said it was a race against time to release the man within the "golden hour" before permanent damage was done to his crushed legs.

The victim was discovered by two men, believed to be neighbours, in Bedham Woods, Fittleworth, yesterday afternoon.

The rescue took half an hour.