An NHS worker has been left with a nasty injury after falling down an "extremely dangerous" hole in the ground.

Kayleigh Woods, 24, was walking to meet her friend in Ashford and typing a message on her phone when her leg suddenly dropped, leaving her lying on the grass.

She now fears a child or elderly person could suffer a similar fall and is urging the council to ensure the opening in Newtown Road is safely covered.

Recalling the incident, Miss Woods told KentOnline: "I was walking to meet a friend in Willesbrough and was replying to my friend's message, and the next thing I know I’ve gone down the hole by one leg and was partially laying on the grass.

"I took a few seconds to realise what happened as it was all a shock.

"I got home and noticed my thigh was swollen, bruised and cut in the centre."

Miss Woods, an NHS 111 health advisor, called the service herself and was referred for a GP appointment.

"I’m seriously worried it could be a child or elderly person next..."

She was diagnosed with a traumatic hematoma which will take six to eight weeks to heal.

This injury is the result of am injury to the skin or the tissues underneath which then causes bad bruising.

Miss Woods is concerned another, worse accident could happen if the hole is not safely covered.

"I’m seriously worried it could be a child or elderly person next, and what the damage could be if it were," she said.

"I could have done some serious damage if I fell wrong. It is extremely dangerous."

Miss Woods thinks the opening in the ground is a manhole for electric or water, due to the metal interior.

"I couldn’t see any marking on the lid to be able to figure out who to report this to," she said.

"Honestly, the council needs to make sure these things are maintained regularly.

"As you can see in the photos the lid is inside the hole and very rusty. So even if it were over the hole, it could have easily gone through if someone steps on it."

Miss Woods admits she is now to frightened to walk across drain covers.

"It was so embarrassing and traumatic when it happened, especially with the fear it could possibly have been a child instead," she said.

"I can safely say I’m no longer walking across any drain!

"It’s going to get some getting used to having the bruise and all the questions from people about how it happened."

An Ashford Borough Council (ABC) officer has visited the site and confirmed the authority does not own the land on which the hole is located.

Officials are carrying out further enquiries to find out who the landowner is.

The accident comes just a few weeks after a six-year-old boy fell down a hole, also in Ashford.

Little Freddie was walking along the path in Ulley Road in Kennington, when he suddenly slid down off the path and into the bushes.

His mother, Rachel Newton, said her son was in great pain after the incident and was left with nasty scratches on his leg.