Two men rescued after falling in to a slurry pit at a Suffolk farm were 'lucky' not to have sustained serious injuries.

Around 30 firefighters and an air ambulance were among emergency crews called to reports that two men in their 60s were trapped in the pit at Swiss Cottage Farm in Chapel Road, Otley, at around 10.30am today.

One man who was 'pinned' by a concrete slab weighing 'up to two tonnes' was 'relatively calm and stable' when firefighters arrived on scene, Chris Gibbs, county commander for Suffolk Fire and Rescue Service, said.

The men were stuck in the slurry pit for nearly three hours before they were pulled out at just after 1.15pm.

The man trapped by the 3m x 3m slab of concrete suffered a head injury not thought to be life-threatening and was taken by land ambulance, accompanied by air ambulance medics, to Ipswich Hospital.

The other man sustained minor injuries and was discharged at the scene.

When asked if the men were lucky not to have suffered serious injuries, Mr Gibbs said: 'Definitely. He was trapped by the legs. It could have been much worse.

'The rescue itself was precarious. Slurry pits at farms are inherently hazardous.

'There is a big pool of liquid with horrible diseases. This particular slurry pit was not full but there is always the potential of drowning. It could have been a totally different story.'

Daimon Wheddon, a paramedic officer for the East of England Ambulance Service, explained the two men fell in to the pit after the concrete slab on which they were standing gave way and fell in.

He said the man 'pinned' by the concrete slab sustained a head injury not thought to be life-threatening and was taken to Ipswich Hospital for further treatment.