Officer's eye pierced by stick

A police officer that had only been in the job for six days was lucky to survive after a six inch twig went through his eye socket and touched his brain following a chase through a Heywood estate.

PC John Nash was in an unmarked police car following two other cars which were being driven erratically on Walton Close. One of the cars was abadoned and PC Nash gave chase on foot. During the chase he slipped and slid into a bush. One of the branches went through his eye and snapped to leave a six inch twig sticking out of his face.

He continued the chase and was able to arrest one of the getaway drivers, who told him about the horrific state of his eye and that he needed to get to hospital.

He was taken to Fairfield Hospital in Bury by his colleagues before being transferred to Royal Blackburn for three hours of surgery to remove the broken stick.

Doctors discovered that the twig had gone through his eye-lid, broken his cheek bone and stopped against his brain. Following surgery PC Nash retained some of the sight to the eye and doctors are hopeful that he may make a full recovery.