A man was taken to hospital after spending almost an hour with his hand trapped in a piece of industrial machinery.

Firefighters battled to free the 33-year-old, who caught his thumb in a routing machine at DG Glass Designs, in William Street, Carshalton, at around 1.15pm on September 16.

The man suffered a deep cut that needed stitches and will spend between four and six weeks off work.

Crowbars were used to gradually wrench two drill bits away from the man’s digit in a painstaking procedure.

The worker was given painkillers by paramedics during his ordeal.

It is understood the incident occurred when the worker, with more than 15 years in the trade, put his hand inside the machinery when it was on.

Andy Francis, who owns the business, which makes aluminium-framed windows, said it had been “a momentary lapse in concentration”.

He said: “He was stuck and in a fair amount of pain. The emergency services did a first-rate job.”

He said staff originally called The London Fire Brigade because they thought firefighters would be able to cut through the machinery, but because of the delicateness of the situation, and not wanting to put the thumb at further risk, the decision was made to try to prise the drill bits apart.

It is understood one firefighter had been tipped for an award for his ingenuity freeing the man without him further damaging the digit.

A London Ambulance Service spokeswoman said a 33-year-old-man was given pain relief at the scene and taken as a priority to St George’s Hospital with a hand injury”.

Mr Francis said the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had been informed of the incident.

He said the company followed all health and safety procedures and checks, and all its machinery passed rigid safety standard checks.