A TEACHER has suffered serious leg injuries after falling about 25 feet from a tree while taking part in an activity at the Malvern Hills Outdoor Centre.

West Midlands Ambulance Service was called to the centre in Old Hollow, Malvern, at about 11.45am on Sunday after the accident.

A rapid response vehicle and an ambulance were initially sent to the scene but they requested a helicopter and the County Air Ambulance was called to the scene from its base in Strensham.

Aircrew paramedic Blayne Harvey said: "The woman was up on a platform linked to a tree when for some reason she fell to the floor, a distance of 20-25 feet. The exact details are not clear."

"The 50-year-old, who comes from the Evesham area, had suffered fractures to both legs and also had lower back pain.

"The land crews had immobilised her using a neck collar and spinal board. We then airlifted her to the Worcestershire Royal Hospital for further assessment and treatment."

Ed Parkinson, the bursar for Malvern Hills Outdoor Centre, said: "All I can say is there was an accident and paramedics attended.

"The lady in question is in hospital at the moment. I understand it was one of the teachers. She was taking part in activities and something happened and she fell."

He said the centre did not want to go into further details about the exact nature of how the teacher was injured.

He said: "We will have a full inquiry into what happened and the details will come out in due course."

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council confirmed the teacher was from a school in the county but said they would not be releasing her name.

A health and safety team had been to the site and would be launching an investigation into the accident.

The pupils returned to school as planned after the accident.