A WOMAN suffered spinal injuries when a tree being felled by her husband fell on top of her.

Catherine Raine, 52, was airlifted to hospital after being cut free from underneath the tree, which she and her husband were cutting down with a chainsaw, on Saturday morning.

She was pinned down as the tree fell at High Hose Farm, St John's Chapel, near Stanhope in County Durham, and suffered serious back and arm injuries.

She was freed by fire and rescue crews from Stanhope and Barnard Castle after about 40 minutes, before being flown to the University Hospital of North Durham.

There, she was treated for spinal injuries, but her condition was not known yesterday.

Her husband, Richard, is thought to have been present at the time of the accident, and was at her bedside yesterday. The couple are said not to have any children.

The farm is about 100 metres away from Hood Street in the rural Weardale village, and neighbours were shocked to see the Great North Air Ambulance flying to the scene.

One said: "I saw the helicopter and at first we heard that she had fallen out of a tree. But now it sounds as though it has fallen on top of her.

"They are quite private people, but they are nice folk and we all hope Catherine is okay and the injuries are not too serious."

A spokesperson from the Great North Air Ambulance said that they were called at about 11am on Saturday and flew Mrs Raine to Aykley Heads in Durham before transporting her by ambulance to the accident and emergency ward of the hospital.

The spokesperson said: "The woman is suffering from serious back and arm injuries.

"It seems that someone was felling a tree and it has resulted in the tree falling the wrong way and falling on top of her."