MOUNTAIN rescue dog Chi has come face to face with many a crisis in the hills around Bolton.

But he had to deal with an accident of his own - when his owner accidentally caught his leg in a strimming machine.

Landscape maintenance man Dave Marsh who is also part of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team had been cutting three foot high grass in his garden but did not see nine-year-old Chi who had dashed up to him after being startled by the noise of a bird scarer.

The industrial machine caught the animal's leg, leaving it almost severed above the ankle.

The dog was rushed to a vet and there were fears the leg may have to be amputated.

But following a specialist operation, his leg has been saved.

And today, Mr Marsh said: "I was in bits for two weeks after the accident because I love my dog and couldn't believe this happened.

"I didn't see him because of the grass until it was too late.

"One of his legs was badly broken - it was hanging off. I took him to my vet and because of the complexity he thought it might have to be amputated.

"But he referred Chi to a specialist vet hospital called Rutland House, in St Helens, and they were able to sort out the wound before he had a major operation to pin his leg back together." Mr Marsh, aged 55, of Strawberry Hill Road, Bolton, has owned Chi since he was seven-weeks-old.

Ian Barclay, the veterinary surgeon who performed the operation, has been in the profession for 25 years.

He said: "Chi had a big chunk of bone missing from his leg which made it difficult to treat.

"We had to put plates and screws in the leg, which is hard when there is a large area of bone missing. He was put under anaesthetic and the operation took about two hours. It seems to be healing well now so I'm optimistic that the leg will recover."

Chi is an air-scenting dog who has been on 150 searches with the mountain rescue team. In its lifetime a dog is normally expected to find one person, but Chi has already found three.

And Mr Marsh is hoping Chi will soon be fit enough to get back on the hills.