THIS week 15 years ago, a hamster escaped virtually unscathed - after passing through an industrial shredder.

The creature was thought to have found its way into a skip of rubbish that arrived at a recycling plant in Flintshire, north Wales.

He passed along a conveyor belt and then through a giant shredder, which can tear a cooker or washing machine to pieces in seconds.

He then survived a rotating drum and vibrating grids before he was discovered in a sorting area by astonished staff, who named him Mike.

The ordeal, which probably lasted about four minutes, left the rodent with nothing more than a sore paw.

Mike was enjoying a new life with tenyear-old Liam Bull, whose father Craig works in the Recyclo plant in Sandycroft.

Liam said at the time: "I can't believe he's still alive after what happened."

Also that week, the announcement in 2002 that Cleveland Bridge had been awarded the contract to construct England's showpiece stadium was supposed to guarantee jobs and the future of company.

Yet, four years on, the company had to shed nearly 300 workers and faced a possible bill running into millions of pounds in legal fees.

The stadium was intended to add to the already impressive list of designs Cleveland Bridge had worked on, which included the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

However, in 2004, within days of the completion of the arch, Cleveland Bridge walked off the site and the rest of the steel erection was taken on by Dutch firm Hollandia.

Gerry Hunter, from engineering union Amicus, said at the time: "In 25 years, I have never known this to happen with a company that big."

The row between the two sides intensified as it was announced each would be suing the other.

Cleveland Bridge claimed it was still owed £22.5m by Australian firm Multiplex.