A MUM was left ‘horrified’ after her daughter almost fell into a 20 foot hole left open on a Barrow pathway.

Michelle Fisher, a teaching assistant from Barrow, was ‘extremely concerned’ after her regular walking route almost resulted in a fatal accident.

The mum-of-one was walking around the Slag Bank area off Ormsgill Lane when she spotted an open hole metres ahead.

Ms Fisher’s five-year-old daughter, Holly, had run ahead and was seconds from falling into the hole before her mum called her back.

Ms Fisher said: “I saw the black hole ahead of me and my heart just stopped.

“I was petrified, she could’ve so easily fallen in and seriously hurt herself.

“I dread to think what could’ve happened.

“Luckily my dogs were on a lead and my little girl was watching where she was going .”

The manhole, used as an access point for underground public utilities, was left without a lid cover, causing a ‘serious hazard’ to walkers, children and animals.

“It was a 20 foot sheer drop which could’ve killed someone if they hadn’t seen it,” Ms Fisher said.

“It was seriously deep, and as a mother, I was very concerned.

“I thought some kids might have tampered with the cover, not realising how dangerous that can be.”

Ms Fisher said her daughter had a ‘lucky escape’ from a potentially life-threatening situation.

“It’s horrendous to think what could’ve happened,” she said.

“I woke up in the middle of the night the day after petrified someone else would fall in.

“I tried covering it as best as I could with branches but you never know.

“It’s a really popular walking spot too so accidents could happen.”

Ms Fisher took to social media to warn other walkers about the hole, prompting action from United Utilities whose engineers are understood to have visited the site.

However, it was Ms Fisher’s partner who successfully retrieved the lid of the manhole which had fallen into the 20 foot drop.

He said he would have ‘dreaded’ to think a child or walker could have potentially became seriously injured.

The Mail contacted United Utilities for a comment, however, they were unable to reply by the time this went to print.