A CHORLEY woman has spoken of her nightmare journey when she got her head trapped in the doors of a train as she struggled to get off with her baby.

And Michelle Bullen has branded the attitude of rail staff as "terrible".

Michelle, aged 27, of Thirlmere Road, Chorley, said she suffered headaches after the terrifying ordeal when she thought her head was being crushed. She went to Chorley Hospital where medical staff told her she had sustained only bruising.

Her daughter Madison, two, was out of her pram as Michelle struggled to get off the train at Chorley Station. She said: "I pushed the pram off the train and I stepped off and was turning around to get Madison when the doors started beeping and closing.

"I turned around quick to face her. The doors touched her belly and back. She was going to be stuck if I did not push her back inside, but my head got stuck."

Michelle had her head stuck in the doors, her feet on the platform, and little Madison was still on the train.

She said: "The pram hit the wall because I chucked it down the steps. I felt like my head was being crushed."

She said the conductor released the doors when he saw what had happened. But she is angry because she felt he should have done more to help.

"He did not even get off the train to see if I was all right. They have conductors there to make sure safety procedures are carried out. The attitude of the rail service is completely terrible," she said.

"I have complained to the rail service. I just want it on record that it should not be allowed to happen. Someone should stand on the platform and check."

A spokesman for First North Western Trains said they were sorry for upset caused.

"Normal procedure involves the conductor standing on the platform, checking the doors are clear before pressing a button to close them," he said.

"When the conductor presses the button, there is a five second audible warning and then the doors close.

"The conductor would have to be out on the platform. He can't start the train away from the platform until the station procedure is complete."

He said a safety feature on the brakes stops a train from leaving a station until all the doors are closed, and some trains have touch sensitive strips on the doors which release door pressure if they close on an object.

He added: "We regret any upset caused to the lady. Her complaint will be investigated by a customer relations team through the local manager. All complaints about members of staff are followed up."

Meanwhile Michelle is appealing for an elderly couple who rescued her pram and helped her after the accident to get in touch through the Citizen.