A JURY trying a Tyldesley woman accused of pushing a 76-year-old woman downstairs has failed to reach a verdict.

Anne Jones denied inflicting grievous bodily harm on the pensioner and after seven and a half hours deliberations the jury announced they had been unable to agree.

Jones, of Caste Street, was further remanded on bail until March 24 when it will be a judge will be told whether there is to be re-trial.

During the five day trial a jury at Liverpool Crown Court heard that Ruby Ganley suffered a broken wrist and fractured shoulder after alleging being pushed down the stairs leading to the toilets in Peake Fitness Social Club in Leigh.

Frances Hertzog, prosecuting, claimed that she and Jones both ended up in the toilets after earlier problems upstairs with Jones and her male friend making a nuisance of themselves.

In the toilet area 46-year-old Jones insulted her and when Mrs Ganley tried to manoeuvre past her at the top of the narrow staircase she "said something to her and violently pushed her with both hands to the upper part of her chest.

"This unfortunately caused her to fall backwards down that short flight of stairs. She put her hand out to break her fall but landed badly with her full body weight on her outstretched hands and lay on the floor screaming out in pain and later rendered unconscious by the knock downstairs," claimed Frances Hertzog, prosecuting.

Jones, who fled the scene, told police that Mrs Ganley must have been drunk and fallen downstairs injuring herself.

She told the jury that she had not pushed her and had not seen or heard her fall. She said that in the toilets she had merely put her hand on the woman's shoulder after she grabbed her hair and said 'just leave it.'

"There is no way I pushed her down some stairs, no way," said Jones, a former carer.