Bosses of a building company have said one of their workers taken to hospital by air ambulance did not fall down an eight-foot hole on a site in Oswestry on Wednesday.

Two air ambulances – from Wales and the Midlands – plus Shropshire firefighters and West Mercia Police attended the scene around 10.15am in Middleton Road with a man in his 50s eventually airlifted to Royal Stoke University Hospital.

But Nick Scott from Pickstock Homes – who own the site – has moved to clarify that the accident occurred after the man struck his head on a one-metre manhole after he had a seizure from a pre-existing condition, and wished him a speedy recovery.

"Yesterday morning our site manager contacted me to advise that there was an incident at our construction site off Middleton Road," said Mr Scott.

"A member of the ground works team had collapsed with a seizure while working inside a manhole on site.

"There was only one ring of the manhole constructed, approximately one-metre deep, and he was standing on the pre-formed haunching inside the manhole, working with a colleague under the appropriate risk assessment and method statements and the necessary site permits for this type of work.

"As he collapsed he struck his head, he was unconscious but breathing and was supported by site personnel until the rescue services arrived.

"The rescue services including the paramedics and police were immediately called and attended site and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) were informed.

"The individual was airlifted to Stoke Hospital, and I understand he was conscious yesterday, but undergoing further tests before being discharged from hospital.

"As it was a personal health issue, rather than a health and safety matter, the HSE decided not to attend site and they have confirmed to us this morning that the incident is not reportable and the site is free to continue to operate normally.

"Our thoughts are with the affected individual and we wish him a speedy recovery."

Emergency services were on the scene for around 30 minutes while the worker transferred to a nearby Midlands Air Ambulance, which was parked on a patch of grass in Ffynnon Gardens before it departed to Stoke around 30 minutes later.