A MECHANIC has been hailed a hero by work colleagues after preventing a trailer from crushing a lorry driver and rescuers.

Steve Brewster, 36, from North Skelton, pushed down on a lever during an hour-long rescue operation to save a trapped lorry driver, despite breaking his wrist in the process.

The 49-year-old driver became trapped by his arm between a Hiab lorry with a built-in crane and a trailor at Boulby Potash mine at Loftus.

Mr Brewster, an underground diesel fitter at the mine, was called to let air out of airbags in the trailer's suspension to lower the vehicle away from the lorry driver and rescuers.

In order to do this, he kept hold of a lever for nearly an hour, despite breaking his right wrist as he held on.

Occupational health manager at the mine Mike Elliott, who was first on the scene, along with medic Justin White, said: "He just stayed pushing down on a lever which stopped the trailer from causing further injury to the trapped man.

"Steve must have been in quite a lot of pain but he was so concerned that the trapped man was in danger that he stayed put.

"His actions certainly helped save lives."

Mr Brewster admitted he was in pain but knew lives could have been lost, if he let go of the lever.

"Everyone worked really well together as a team," said the father-of-three.

"I've got to take six weeks off work but I won't be losing out financially although my wife, Lisa, is already tired of me being at home," he said.

Part-time firefighter Paul Thompson, who works at the mine, also performed a heroic act by climbing beneath the trailer to administer pain killing drugs to the trapped man.

The lorry driver was airlifted by air ambulance to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where his condition was described as comfortable.

He suffered from chest injuries including broken ribs and severe bruising to his arm.