A TEENAGE girl was left in agony when her foot became trapped, bent almost double, in the rear wheel of a bicycle.

The 14-year-old youngster had to be cut free by firemen, before being taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Rachel Hough of Crompton Way, Astley Bridge, had been riding on the back of the bicycle with a friend along Winchester Way, Breightmet.

Worried that she was about to fall off, she put her foot down to steady herself and slow the bike down.

But her foot became entangled between spokes, when the bike failed to slow.

Her screams alerted neighbours who tried to release her by putting washing up liquid on her leg to act as a lubricant. Eventually, the fire service was contacted and they cut away wheel spokes which released Rachel. A bag of frozen chips was placed on her swollen leg in the hope of bringing down the swelling.

Rachel was then taken to hospital, where the badly bruised leg was bandaged.

This morning her mother, Jill, said: "Thankfully nothing has been broken. She has been told to keep her foot off the ground for the moment, but to gradually start walking again in the next 48 hours.

"I think what frightened her most was that the more she tried to free her foot, the more it became stuck. It just kept swelling, and Rachel was so worried about how on earth it would ever be freed."

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