A woman in northern England had a very lucky escape in a John Lewis store after falling over the side of a balcony and falling 18m – only to land on a display bed.

The woman, who was later treated for hip and spine injuries at a hospital in Greater Manchester, reportedly fell over the partition on the store’s glass balcony. Tumbling over the side, she fell onto an area that is usually used for seasonal displays, but which currently features a bed.

The woman is believed to have fallen over one of the rails beside the escalator in the Cheadle store, pictured here [John Lewis]

A John Lewis spokesperson confirmed that the 60-year-old woman had been involved in the serious accident at the Cheadle branch of the department store.

“Our customers’ safety is of the utmost importance to us and all of our shops conform to the highest safety standards,” the spokesman said.

“We are helping the police with their investigations and continue to offer support to our partners [staff] who witnessed the distressing incident.”