A GOOD Samaritan spent three hours in surgery - after breaking her leg picking up a discarded beer can.

Claire Dunn, a published author from Burton Bradstock, was out on a walk with her 23-year-old daughter, Sophia, and her two dogs at Freshwater Bay when she came across an empty beer can.

Claire bent down to pick up the can and in doing so slipped on the wet grass and broke two bones in her leg.

The West Bay Coastguard Rescue Team and paramedics from the South Western Ambulance Service attended - with 10 people and three vehicles at the scene .

The coastguard arrived first, stabilising Claire's leg with a splint and fracture straps before paramedics arrived and administered pain relief. Claire was then put onto the team's stretcher and transported back to the waiting ambulance.

She was eventually transported to Dorset County Hospital, where she was told there had been breaks in both her tibula and fibia. She underwent a three-hour operation the following day - which included putting pins and plates into her leg. Her recovery is expected to take between 12 and 14 weeks.

Claire, a 58-year-old author, said: "It is very frustrating for me. As a result of one thoughtless act I’m now unable to be on my feet for 12 to 14 weeks – not to mention the amount of time and effort put into rescuing me from the slope.

"When somebody throws away a beer can they are only thinking about what’s easy. It is a thoughtless act carried out without thinking of potential consequences. I'm sure the person who threw the can wouldn’t want me to be in hospital with a broken leg. They are likely not even be aware of what has happened as a result of their carelessness.

"This person has completely disrupted mine and my family's life – along with causing me a lot of pain – as a result of sheer carelessness."

As the slope on which she slipped is particularly hard for vehicles to access - Claire remained on the slope for around two hours as emergency services plotted out the safest route to get her into an ambulance and taken to hospital.

She said: "It was very painful but luckily I have a very sensible daughter who looked after me. She was so calm and helpful.

"This is another sign that more needs to be done to prevent litter in the area. I’ve been looking at the amount of litter over the last couple of years and it will cause a long-term problem, and is incredibly detrimental to the environment and our beautiful landscape.

"The general public and the government need to work together on this issue. We can’t do it by ourselves, the government can’t do it by themselves but together we can make a huge difference."

Sophie Colley, co-ordinator of Litter Free Dorset, said: "Litter is not only unsightly but can cause harm to wildlife and communities. It’s very important everyone takes their litter home to keep Dorset safe and litter free."