A YOUNG farmer left paralysed by a one-ton bale of hay has thanked his friends and family for help with his recovery.

Robert Field, 23, broke his back and jaw, and severed a main artery, when the bale fell on him as he worked at Shuttleworth House Farm, Hapton, in September 2007.

He was airlifted to hospital after the accident and his family said he was lucky to be alive because the bale missed his upper body and head.

Robert was treated in the spinal injury unit at Southport and Formby District General Hospital after being transferred from Preston.

In the two years since the accident, Robert has staged two equestrian days raising a total of £20,000 for the North West Air Ambulance and Spinal Research.

He has also managed to achieve his ambition of being able to help at his family’s farm, carrying out some of the jobs he used to do before the accident happened – although he is unable to return to work full-time.

On Saturday, Robert, his friends and family gathered at Crow Wood Leisure and Fitness Centre, Burnley, to celebrate the end of their fundraising, by presenting a cheque to Spinal Research.

Robert, of Cornfield Grove, Burnley, said: “I would like to thank everyone who turned up to both events and who donated prizes for the raffle.

“I particularly would like to thank Caty Atkinson, Joan Duxbury, Nora Starkie and my mum for helping to organise the events.

“I’m now back doing what I love – feeding the cows and moving the bales of hay and carrying out the usual jobs you do around a farm again.

"It gives me a reason to get up in the morning.”