A MAN killed in a freak accident at a Bury factory had just got engaged to be married.

Worker Mark Clegg was crushed in a compressor at WH Tracey textile recyclers on Tuesday morning.

The 36-year-old had only recently returned from a two-week holiday in Egypt where he proposed to his girlfriend Carol Heys.

The couple lived in Railway Terrace, Bury, and were planning to have a baby before setting a firm wedding date.

Miss Heys led the tributes to her fiance. She said: "Mark was a real prankster, always winding me and others up. But he was also a genuine, loving, man with a heart of gold.

"He wanted to get engaged on Valentine's Day but he didn't know what size ring to get.

"He decided we should wait until our holiday to Egypt. It wasn't a case of getting down on bended knee.

"He said I've asked you to marry me, you've said yes, let's do it.' It was a very romantic proposal."

The emergency services were called to Paradise Mill, in John Street, at 11.30am on Tuesday following reports that a worker had been injured in a machine used to bale clothing.

It is understood the machine's hydraulic system broke away and crashed down.

Officer Rick Warburton, from Bury Fire Station, said: "Mr Clegg was trapped by the machine.

"The action of freeing him took about five minutes. Paramedics pronounced him dead at the scene."

Mr Clegg was a former pupil of East Ward County Primary and Ashmeadow High schools and had worked for Tracey's for the last seven years.

He had a house in Rufford Drive, Whitefield, but had lived with Miss Heys at her home for the past 12 months.

His brother Lee said: "Mark was a football fan who regularly watched Bury but always kept an eye on Liverpool.

"We are all in a state of shock. Our mum, Jean is heartbroken."

Yesterday, a spokeswoman for WH Tracey said the firm had temporarily closed.

In line with procedure, a joint Greater Manchester Police and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation has been launched into the cause of the tragedy.

It is understood the HSE inspected the factory two weeks ago and had given the company a clean bill of health.