AN Evesham animal rights protester was left with "life-threatening" injuries after she was assaulted by an off-duty policeman at a demonstration, a court heard.

Midwife Lynn Sawyer broke her leg in four places and needed plastic surgery for a facial injury after PC David Manton allegedly pulled her from a 15ft scaffolding blocking the road, Peterborough Crown Court was told.

Miss Sawyer, aged 34, a member of the Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty group, was left with one leg an inch shorter than the other as a result of the alleged assault on July 29 last year on the A1 at Little Paxton, Cambridgeshire.

Manton, aged 49, denies causing grievous bodily harm.

Mark Norman, prosecuting, told the court protesters had erected tripods, using scaffolding poles, to put a banner across the road voicing objections to research firm Huntingdon Life Sciences.

The Cambridgeshire Police officer, who was off-duty, was riding his motorcycle along the southbound carriageway when he came across the protest.

Mr Norman said he could have got past, but chose to stop.

"He shouted at Miss Sawyer to come down and when she refused he shook one leg of the scaffolding," he said.

"It was a gratuitous act, it was wrong, criminally reckless, and stupid."

In police interview, Manton said he took hold of the scaffolding pole to see how heavy and rigid it was.

"All I could see was this poor woman tangled up with whatever it was made of," he said.

Miss Sawyer said the protest was to highlight the suffering of animals.

She told the court she was using a mountaineering harness to attach herself to the scaffolding and a rope ladder to climb up it. She said when a man in motorcycle leathers approached her and shouted for her to come down she felt scared.

"He was very, very angry and aggressive and I was in fear of my life. He pulled at one of the legs and I came crashing down," she said.

She told the court that as a qualified nurse, she knew she had broken her leg, and felt she had suffered life-threatening injuries.

The court heard Miss Sawyer spent three weeks in hospital and will be scarred for life. She also underwent plastic surgery for facial injuries.

When asked by Maura McGowan, defending, under cross-examination, if she was prepared to use violence to further her aims, she replied: "I have no control over what other people do, I'd never use violence."

She said the purpose of the protest was purely a publicity stunt to highlight the suffering of animals.

The trial continues.