A woman became wedged between two turrets after falling as much as 30-feet during a tour of a cathedral in south-west England.

The victim (68) was inside the tower at Wells Cathedral when she fell and became trapped in a void between two walls 150-feet up inside the bell tower, according to the Devon and Somerset Fire and Rescue service.

She suffered suspected broken wrists, a broken pelvis and abdominal injuries. A rescue operation to free the woman was launched by firefighters. Paramedics, a doctor and a helicopter also joined the effort.

The victim was given pain relief and then winched up to a stable platform at the cathedral in Somerset.

From there she was lifted to a safe area within the tower and then winched on board a Sea King helicopter from RAF Kinloss in the north of Scotland, and then airlifted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol.

Dr. Paul Richards, from Wells Cathedral, said "It occurred in one of our regular, what we call 'high part' tours, where a group of no more than a dozen go and see some of the more hidden places of the cathedral".

"You go up inside the cathedral, we would go up through a number of spiral staircases, and reach some of the roof spaces".

"I think there was an unfortunate point, I don't know exactly how it happened, but she slipped through some gaps that meant she fell down to a floor level slightly below" he added.

All tours at the cathedral have been cancelled.