Woman trampled by cows left fighting for life, dog killed

Walker charged by animals as she hiked through Peak District field

The incident occurred near the Magpie Mine heritage site in Derbyshire (Derbyshire Police)

A walker has been rushed to hospital in critical condition after she was trampled by cows that also killed her dog.

The woman was charged by the animals while in a Peak District field near the village of Sheldon in Derbyshire.

She was only saved because a passer-by saw the incident, at 3.45pm on Tuesday, and raised the alarm.

So serious were the victim's injuries that an air ambulance was needed to fly her to hospital in nearby Sheffield, Derbyshire Police confirmed.

A spokesperson for the force said: “We were called after a passer-by saw a woman and her dog being attacked by cows in a field near the village of Sheldon. Police arrived as did air ambulance and the woman was taken to hospital in Sheffield, she remains in a critical condition. Her dog had been killed by cows.”

A Twitter account for Sheldon village wished the woman well on social media.

“Our thoughts are with the family of the lady who was very badly injured by cows in the fields to the rear of our village,” it said.

Walkers are regularly warned to be careful among cattle in the Peak District with several incidents being reported every year.

Famously, in 2009, former Home Secretary David Blunkett was left with broken ribs after being charged by beasts in the area.