A WOMAN broke her leg falling down a two-foot ‘tunnel-like’ hole in the sand – sparking a plea for people to not leave beach digging unfilled.

Angela Oakley’s trip to the south coast with a friend was ruined when she suffered the injury at Friars Cliff.

The 62-year-old had fallen into a narrow deep hole, which had been dug in the sand, on Monday evening.

Members of the Highcliffe Beach Bum Bluetits came to the Londoner’s aid.

However, her plight did not end there. She was driven to Royal Bournemouth Hospital for treatment but when faced with wait times of up to 10 hours she returned to her accommodation at Sandhills Holiday Park.

Angela was driven back to her home in Worcester Park on Tuesday morning by her friend after visiting Kingston Hospital, where medics diagnosed her with a cracked lower leg bone.

Her leg is now in a brace and she is on crutches.

Bournemouth Echo: Angela back at her London home on TuesdayAngela back at her London home on Tuesday

Angela, who was due to go on holiday abroad before her flight was cancelled, had planned to stay in Dorset until Thursday before the incident at the beach.

She told the Daily Echo: “We had booked a table at the Noisy Lobster at 7.30pm so we had a bit of time and my friend said why don’t we walk down to the end of the beach huts and back.

“I was just going to speak to the ladies coming out of the water about their sea swimming.

“It was such a lovely evening and the beach was beautiful and then all of a sudden by leg went down this hole. The sand was up to my knee.”

In a message to beach users, Angela said: “Think about if it was them or their mother or someone they know who ended up getting hurt. It is not nice.

“It is not a lot to ask for people to fill in holes if they have dug them in the sand.”

Angela said she hopes to return to Dorset and the New Forest for a full holiday once she has recovered.

Bournemouth Echo: Angela Oakley fell into the narrow hole when she was walking with a friendAngela Oakley fell into the narrow hole when she was walking with a friend

She said she was extremely grateful to the Bluetits members who supported her immediately after the fall.

This included Mudeford carer Sue Rich, who was just coming out of the water when she saw the incident happen.

She said the hole looked like someone had been trying to dig a tunnel.

“You literally wouldn’t have seen this hole until you fell down it,” Sue said. “It looked like a tunnel of some sort.

“It doesn’t take five minutes to fill these holes in before you leave the beach."

Bournemouth Echo: The incident took place at Friars Cliff earlier this weekThe incident took place at Friars Cliff earlier this week

Sue said the Bluetits members were now keeping a close eye out for any unfilled holes when they are at the beach.

“It is so easy for someone to fall down. She just didn’t see it was there.

“Whoever dug them should have just filled it in when they left.”