A man suffered multiple injuries after he plummeted 20ft through a roof skylight.

The 58-year-old contractor was removing asbestos concrete sheeting from the roof at Clough Works in Poynton when he fell.

It is understood he stepped back through a skylight in the roof.

The man, from Liverpool, was airlifted to Wythenshawe hospital after the accident Middlewood Road at 2pm on Thursday.

He is believed have suffered neck and back injuries, broken ribs and a punctured lung.

The injuries were not being treated as life threatening.

The site is owned by General Utilities, a subsidiary of Camellia Plc, which is demolishing the buildings at Clough Works for a new development. It has been shut down pending an investigation by the Health and Safety Executive.

Neil Kearns, managing director of General Utilities, said he was shocked by the accident.

He said: "My understanding of the incident was that contractors were removing asbestos sheeting when he fell through the skylight. It has shaken up the other lads working there as you'd expect. I was told that he had some broken ribs and a punctured lung. It could have been a lot worse."

The site was closed over the bank holiday weekend and reopened today.

The HSE has confirmed it will be visiting the site tomorrow.