A former Jaguar Land Rover car plant worker whose leg was crushed on a production line has welcomed the £900,000 fine handed to the firm.

Mark Widnall, 59, from Coventry, had to have his right leg amputated above the knee following the accident, which he said had also robbed him of his independence.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that Mr Widnall was crushed between two vehicles at JLR's vast Lode Lane plant in Solihull , West Midlands, in February 2015.

Mr Widnall, who now wears a prosthetic limb, said the prosecution of JLR for a breach of health and safety regulations had allowed him to begin "drawing a line" under his ordeal.

He now intends to seek compensation from the car-maker for his life-changing injuries.

Describing the impact of the accident, he said: "This is the first stage in drawing a line under my accident but I have been left with a prosthetic limb which means I can't do things I used to do, like going out dancing.

"I had to move in with my elderly mother for a while, who also has to care for my brother."

He said relying on others had caused him a lot of stress but he had been supported by his union, Unite.

Howard Beckett, Unite's assistant general secretary for legal services, said: "This is a shocking case.

"We will be supporting our member through his compensation claim but the fact remains that he has lost a limb due to the negligence of the company and no money will change that."

During the trial, jurors were told that the car-maker had since introduced a buffer zone to reduce the risk of a similar accident, which happened when a Range Rover caused a four-vehicle shunt.

Two other employees suffered minor injuries.

As well as the fine, JLR was ordered to pay £49,800 after being found guilty of breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act.

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE), which brought the prosecution, said the accident had been "completely avoidable" and it was only "good fortune" that Mr Widnall had not been killed.

Following sentencing, JLR said its thoughts were with the injured worker and that it was committed to the safety and well-being of all employees.

In a statement, the company said: "We accept the decision and continue to work closely with the HSE to ensure that all reasonably practicable measures are in place to protect our employees."