SCHOOLCHILDREN who watched as their teacher fell 25 feet from a tree have been offered counselling.

The 50-year-old PE teacher from Blackminster Middle School, Evesham, was taking part in an adventure weekend at the Malvern Hills Outdoor Centre in Old Hollow with about 30 children, aged 11 to 13, when she fell from a platform linked to a tree and suffered serious leg injuries.

While the majority of the children were elsewhere at the time of the accident, a small group were nearby and saw the accident.

Headteacher Terry Holland said it was a difficult thing for them to go through.

He said: "Since the children have been back at school we made sure they have received counselling."

The school, along with many others in Worcestershire, has taken part in adventure weekends at the outdoor centre for many years. This is the first time they had been involved in a incident like this.

Mr Holland said it came as a shock. "It's always been a very safe, well-run centre over the years and we have had hundreds of children and staff go there in that time.

"We hope that when the investigation has been completed that both the centre and ourselves can go back to how it was before."

Exact details of what happened are not yet known.

A spokesman for Worcestershire County Council, which runs the Malvern centre, confirmed a health and safety investigation was under way.

He said: "We have begun initial proceedings into an investigation. That is all we can say at this time."

The teacher, who has not been identified, was airlifted to Worcestershire Royal Hospital after the accident on Sunday, June 10.

A rapid response vehicle and ambulance were sent to the scene and a County Air Ambulance from Strensham was dispatched and took her to hospital for further assessment and treatment.

Aircrew paramedic Blayne Harvey said: "The 50-year-old had broke both her legs and also had lower back pain."