A MAN who was trampled by cows while walking with his wife on a public footpath remains in a serious condition in hospital.

The 46-year-old, who has not been named, suffered serious injuries to his head, chest, arm and abdomen during the incident, at Romaldkirk, near Barnard Castle, at lunchtime on Thursday.

He was airlifted to The James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, where he received emergency specialist treatment for his injuries.

Last night, his condition was described as stable, but still very poorly.

The couple, from Halifax, West Yorkshire, are thought to have been on holiday.

Richard Bell, Durham county councillor for Romaldkirk, emphasised the rarity of such incidents and said: “This is a very regrettable incident, and I hope the walker makes a speedy recovery.

“Thankfully, such incidents are extremely rare and, as a walker myself, I will continue to enjoy the lovely Teesdale countryside.”

The couple had been walking along a public footpath when the incident occurred and are not thought to have had a dog with them. The man’s wife escaped without injury.

Despite his injuries, he was able to summon the strength to clamber over a stile before collapsing on the other side of a stone wall.

A spokesman for the Great North Air Ambulance Service said the man had been lucky to escape over the wall and warned people to take extra care when walking through fields where cattle are grazing.

Meanwhile, the National Farmers’ Union advised walkers always to keep dogs on leads, carry a stick with them to help deter creatures, and give grazing animals, particularly those with calves, a wide berth, even if that means deviating from the footpath.

Although the Health and Safety Executive is not involved with the incident, there is an information sheet on its website about cattle and public access.

To view the document, visit hse.gov.uk/pubns/ais17ew.pdf