A VALE woman became the unwitting star of a BBC documentary after her holiday to the New Forest went seriously wrong.

Gwen Perry ended up with a starring role in the daytime TV series City Hospital after one of the forest's famous wild ponies suddenly kicked out at her.

"It was my first time on television - what a way to become a celebrity," said Gwen, who has amazed medics and television viewers with the speed of her recovery.

Now safely back home in Drakes Broughton, she recalled how what was supposed to have been a relaxing break with husband Geoff nearly ended in tragedy.

Gwen, who is manager of Broadway's Cotswold Spa Retirement Residence, said: "I was just walking past this horse when it just kicked out with its back leg. There were signs up saying don't feed the horses, but I didn't realise that just going near them was dangerous."

Her arm was seriously injured and required surgery, but doctors at Southampton Hospital were more concerned about her ruptured liver.

Intensive care

"I was in the intensive care unit for four days before being transferred to a ward on the Friday and I came home on the Tuesday," she said.

When Gwen arrived at the hospital's casualty department earlier this month her case quickly caught the attention of a BBC film crew making City Hospital.

"They asked if they could film me," said Gwen, who added that at the time she was in such severe pain that she did not care about anything.

The crew filmed her through casualty and afterwards came to interview her about the accident and her recovery on the ward.

Meanwhile, back at Cotswold Spa residents and staff were glued to the television each morning following Gwen's progress, and made sure each episode was recorded on video for her to watch on her return.

Gwen says she has to take it easy until her liver recovers, but hopes to return to work soon and make a full recovery in about a month.

She added that she is in no hurry to go on holiday again and has no plans for a return to the New Forest.