A man who fell asleep in a skip was moments from being crushed to death by a dustcart.

Khan Talay decided to sleep for the night in a bin after forgetting his keys and locking himself out of his home.

But the 28-year-old had a rude awakening when the ten tonne skip was lifted off the ground and he and its contents were dumped in the back of a truck.

The lorry was completing its regular round when it stopped to empty the skips outside JJB Sports at The Crumbles Retail Park in Eastbourne.

It picked up the bin, flipped it upside down and its contents were dropped in the hopper of the dustcart.

Mr Talay, of Bourne Street, Eastbourne, was seconds away from being crushed to death when the man driving the lorry heard his screams and turned off the ignition.

If the driver had not heard the screams Mr Talay would have been chopped up by the large packer blade' which pushes the rubbish to the rear of the vehicle.

An ambulance was called to examine Mr Talay but miraculously he escaped uninjured.

Police yesterday said Mr Talay was lucky to be alive and warned of the dangers of sleeping in skips.

PC Lee Willsher, of Sussex Police, said: "He was emptied, along with the contents, into the back of a dustbin lorry.

"He was lucky it wasn't much more serious.

"He could have had his arm or leg chopped off.

"People shouldn't fall asleep in bins because they need to be emptied and the driver will never know they are there."

The refuse collection company, Sita, based at Grove Road, Eastbourne, arrived at the retail park at around 8am on Thursday to clear the rubbish.

After the incident the driver of the van had to take the rest of the day off because he was so upset at the idea that he had almost unwittingly crushing someone.

He returned to work the following day but was too distressed to talk to The Argus.

Sita press officer Kirstie Phimisper praised the driver for being alert.

She said: "It is fortunate because Mr Talay could have died.

"The bin was picked with forks and lifted over the top of the vehicle and the contents dropped inside.

"The driver heard a shout from within his vehicle and turned the power off.

"It was only quick thinking and alertness which prevented serious injury.

"People should not climb into bins or anything of that nature because it can prove dangerous."

The Argus revealed at the beginning of the month how a woman was killed after being hit by a dustcart.

Anne Smith, 61, of East Street, Brighton, died in hospital after being knocked down by a bin lorry on March 5.