A woman who was attacked by cattle in Hazel Grove has described the 'life-changing' impact of the injuries she sustained. 

Stockport local Jillian Gillmore, 57, was walking with her husband Mark and their dog on a public footpath across a field, when cattle began to approach. 

Jillian tried to run away, but slipped onto the ground - "that's when they went for me", she recalls. 

"I don't remember it but Mark said they were jumping up and down on me."

Mark threw his possessions at the cows in an attempt to get them to disperse, which they eventually did; at this point, he dragged Jillian under a section of broken fence.

"The next thing I properly remember is being taken to hospital", Jillian said. "My whole body hurt and I couldn't really fathom what had happened.

"Since that day, our lives have totally changed."

The Health and Safety Executive found that four to five people per year are killed in accidents involving cattle (Image - Jenny Hill / Unsplash)

The incident took place in August 2021. Jillian spent two months in hospital, having sustained "a catalogue of serious injuries", in the words of her injury lawyers. 

This included fractures to her spine, neck, ribs and pelvis. She also suffered punctured lungs. 

She was discharged in October 2021, and it wasn't until January 2022 that she was finally able to leave her wheelchair. 

She is said to have made a 'remarkable' recovery after this frightening encounter. 

She still experiences psychological distress, but has been able to return to her work as an administrator at the NHS. 

The cattle farmer's insurers have accepted responsibility for the incident. They have provided funds to cover the costs of Jillian's recovery. 

Whilst the Health and Safety acknowledges that cows cannot always be kept out of public fields, it advises farmers should try to do so where possible (Image - Neil Theasby / Wikimedia Commons)

"I still struggle with what I've been through, both physically and emotionally", Jillian said. 

"It's really not been easy for Mark either. 

"We've been out on so many walks together, but never did I ever think I would be attacked by a herd of cows. It's like something you see on a TV drama. 

"I know I'm incredibly lucky to be alive, and I'm so grateful to everyone that's helped me, especially Mark who has been a huge support.  

"And while nothing can change what I suffered that day, I hope that by sharing my story I can help prevent it happening to anyone else. 

"Farmers have a responsibility to keep their cattle and the public safe, and walkers need to know the potential risks out there so they can be prepared or make a conscious decision to avoid them."

Matt Brown, the injury lawyer representing Jillian, said: "It's vital that farmers put proper restraints in place to keep their animals separate from the public, particularly when the animals are likely to behave in a way which could cause serious harm, and also display signs at field entrances to let people know there are cattle with calves at foot around and the risks associated with that."

Please note the images in this article are not of the cows or the farm in question.

(Cow in field image by Neil Theasby, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0)

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