A WOMAN was injured in a freak accident when the horse she was leading along a road fell on to her after being frightened by traffic.

Ann McNaul, 38, of Bridgefield Street, Hapton, suffered a lower back injury and was today "comfortable" in Burnley General Hospital.

Her husband, Brian, said: "She has fractured a vertebrae and is in a lot of pain.

"She can move her legs but they said she had not to do.

"She is just lying flat on her back."

Mrs McNaul was walking with her horse along Altham Lane, Huncoat, and her son, Andrew, 12, was leading a Shetland pony, when the accident happened around 6.30pm last night.

Mr McNaul said: " It's a young horse and she was getting it used to traffic.

"A vehicle came past and it just spooked.

"The horse spun round, knocked her over and fell over her because she was on the floor."

He is now calling for warning signs to alert traffic to the presence of horses and riders from the nearby stables.

Mr McNaul, who works at Chapman Containers, Clayton-le-Moors, said: "It was just an accident, but vehicles do fly up and down there.

"They think it's a grand prix track that country lane."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.