POLICE investigating an incident in which a pedestrian was struck by a train at a level crossing believe the injured man is from Stoke-on-Trent.

The unnamed man was airlifted to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire after the collision in Station Road, Barlaston, yesterday morning.

He suffered serious chest and leg injuries after being hit by the 9.07 Manchester Piccadilly to Bristol train on the level crossing at about 9.45am.

Rail operator Network Rail shut the West Coast Main Line for more than an hour while rescuers battled to free the man from underneath the train and stabilise him for the short flight.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said an ambulance, a rapid response vehicle, emergency doctors and the Air Ambulance were dispatched to deal with the incident.

She said: "On arrival at the scene, crews found a man underneath a train.

"The man was treated at the scene for serious lower limb and chest injuries. He had also suffered lacerations to his head.

"Due to the nature of the injuries the man was given an anaesthetic and pain relief at the scene before being airlifted to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire for further assessment and treatment."

She added: "The hospital was pre-alerted to the man's arrival and his injuries."

The injured man underwent emergency surgery on his leg and chest injuries yesterday afternoon.

British Transport Police said last night they were still trying to establish the man's identity and how the incident happened.

A spokesman said: "We believe he is from the Stoke-on-Trent area, but we are still trying to confirm his identity.

"We are still trying to ascertain how this man came to be in front of the train on the level crossing, but we do not believe anyone else was involved."

Yesterday's collision came almost a year after 22-year-old Stuart Turner, from Lichfield, was killed by an express train at the same spot after straying on to the track while out drinking with friends last March.

An inquest in November recorded a verdict of accidental death after hearing Mr Turner may have got his foot stuck in wooden slats at the side of the crossing moments before the fatal impact.

Shocked Barlaston resident Melanie Jobbins was waiting in a queue of cars at the crossing barriers when the incident happened.

The retired 57-year-old said: "I could see some people standing by the barrier and looking up the track, but I didn't realise what had happened.

"We thought the train had broken down, because there seemed to be an engineer looking underneath it.

"But it turned out to be the train driver, who must have been trying to reach the man who had been hit."

She added: "It's very upsetting that something like this has happened here."

Another resident, who did not wish to be named, said he wanted to see more done by Network Rail and local authorities to make the level crossing safer for pedestrians.

He said: "I've been calling for something to be done about the crossing for years.

"It used to be safe when it was manned, but now people who get fed up of waiting 15 minutes for the barriers to go up can just jump over."