bA GROUP of North Yorkshire pool players who were on their way to a match have told how they saved a motorist's life after he attached a pipe to his exhaust.

Farmer Dave Barker, his son Gareth, and three other friends were driving towards the Fleece Inn, Rillington, shortly after 8pm on Tuesday when they saw a car parked in a lay-by.

Mr Barker, who farms at Whitwell, said: "I just drove past and I thought it looked a bit suspicious, so I reversed the car and stopped.

"We were a bit concerned about him, we felt sorry for him really."

The men called an ambulance who took the motorist, who was still conscious, to York Hospital, where it is thought he was transferred to Crosslane in Scarborough.

Mr Barker added: "I think he was from Filey, and he said he had had a few problems at home.

"It was just really fortunate that we stopped, because nine times out of ten you would just drive on."

The car was parked on a remote stretch of road between Westow and Eddlethorpe, south of Malton.

Mr Barker said he did not know when the next vehicle might have come along and helped the man, who he thought was in his 40s.

"All you can do is try your best," he added.

"It's hard, because we know we've had some difficult times in farming, but there's always another way of going on."

Updated: 12:10 Thursday, January 09, 2003