A road worker has been hospitalised with a minor leg injury after being struck by a car on the A56 in Lancashire.

The incident occurred at a £4.5 million road improvement scheme at Rising Bridge roundabout near Haslingden on Tuesday, 05 July.

The junction was closed for the night as part of the project when a driver arrived and attempted to drive through the project by removing cones.

However, when the contractor intervened, the motorist shouted abuse at him and sped through the roadworks, striking the worker in the legs.

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The car was then driven further into the roadworks towards machinery and other workers, swerving onto a grass verge to get through and colliding with a flatbed truck before driving off.

Alan Shepherd, Highways England's Regional Director in the North West, said road workers "routinely face verbal abuse" from drivers as they carry out their jobs.

"Road workers are trying to do a difficult job to improve drivers' journeys and often work at unsociable hours overnight when traffic levels are at their lowest," he said.

"No-one should have to suffer this kind of abuse just for doing their job, and I hope drivers who have been abusive to road workers or attempted to drive into roadworks in the past will reconsider their attitudes as a result of this incident."

The car's registration was noted down and the incident is being investigated by Lancashire Police.

(LM/MH)