A VAN owner suffered serious injuries when he was run over by a thief who was attempting to drive away with his vehicle.

Paul Swindells was struggling with the thief to stop him taking his van when he fell under the wheels and became trapped underneath the vehicle in Erskine Close, Deane.

The thief fled and firefighters spent 30 minutes freeing 24-year-old Mr Swindells by lifting the van.

He was treated by paramedics for several injuries before being airlifted to Royal Preston Hospital, where he remains in intensive care.

Mr Swindells was putting up for-sale signs for Countrywide Signs at 12.50pm when he heard someone getting into the driver’s seat of his van.

A resident, who asked not to be named, witnessed the incident and rushed to comfort Mr Swindells until the emergency services arrived.

He said: “The man who was injured was up the road putting for-sale signs in a garden when someone tried to steal his van.

“It happened so, so quickly. He ran back to his van and must have got hold of the steering wheel from the man stealing it. The van drove right into my neighbour’s garden and my garden and then it turned back into the road.

“The man fell and the wheels went over him. It dragged him down to the bottom of the road. The person stealing the van then got out and ran off.

“I climbed under the van to see if he was okay and I talked to him until the fire brigade came.

“The emergency services got here very, very quickly. I was on the ground with him for about five minutes before the fire brigade took over and the ambulance and police arrived just after.”

The cul-de-sac was cordoned off as police investigated the incident.

Man trapped under van after collision in Bolton

Bolton fire station watch manager Ian Ainsworth said: “Because of the patient’s suspected injuries we had to find a controlled way of lifting the van up to a height where he could safely be moved.

“It took us half an hour to lift it and he was conscious at the scene.”

A North West Air Ambulance landed in neighbouring Beaumont Primary School fields and Mr Swindells, a drummer for band Dennis Delight, is being treated for serious injuries which are not believed to be life-threatening.

Friend and Dennis Delight lead singer Frank Halliwell said: “He’s going to be out of action for quite a while. He had an operation last night to remove some screws that he was carrying that went into his body.

“They ran over him two or three times.

“He heard the van going and he jumped into the passenger seat and hung on to the door, and then he went under the van, and they reversed over him.

“He has got a damaged pelvis and broken ribs. He is going to need several skin grafts.

“He’s in intensive care, but he’s awake and talking.”

Jane Bickerstaffe, director of Countrywide Signs Preston, said: “I cannot believe such an incident has happened. Who in their right mind would do this? I am lost for words.

“He is in a serious condition but I understand that he is stable.

“We are in talks with his family. They’re as shocked as I am.

“We are wishing him a speedy recovery and are working with his family about what we can do to support him.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101.