A LABOURER had to be rescued after he was buried waist deep in mud and bricks after a trench he was working in collapsed around him.

The 33-year-old man had been on a job at home in St Anne's Road, Caversham when the sides of the trench caved in and left him stranded under a broken wall for around 40 minutes.

Fellow workers and ambulance crews were eventually able to free him before he was rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital.

Fire crews suggested the collapse may have had to do with the recent heavy rainfall and firefighters had to shore up the trench to prevent further collapse.

A spokesman for South Central Ambulance Service said: "We were called at 11.50am today to construction site injury where a 33-year-old male was in a trench.

"He had a wall then fall on his body from the waist down.

"He has managed to crawl out from under the wall at some point but has got some serious leg injuries.

"He was taken to the Royal Berkshire Hospital."

The man's condition was described as not life threatening.

Firefighters from Whitley Wood, Dee Road and Wokingham Road stations were all in attendance.

Crew manager Martin O'Keefe from Whitley Wood station said: "The labourer was working in a trench and it had collapsed on him.

"The workers on site and ambulance service had got him out about the time we arrived but we deemed it unsafe so we had to shore up the trench.

"He was obviously in a lot of pain but conscious and talking."