Faye Webb, 34, who was working on the Isles of Scilly, said: "I remember looking at my leg, re-training the nerves, trying to make my ankle joint move, saying 'come on'"

A brave police officer who broke her leg in 12 places when she was thrown from her horse has taught herself to walk again.

Determined Faye Webb, 34, was forced to take a desk job with the CID after her leg was smashed to pieces.

The experienced rider was told she would never fully recover despite undergoing major surgery, when metal pins and screws were placed in her leg.

But Faye, who spent three years working as a police officer on the Isles of Scilly, is finally back on her feet after being wheel-chair bound for 19 weeks.

Recalling her accident, Faye, who will return to home to Plymouth, Devon, later this month, said: "He went galloping across a field and I couldn't stop him.

"I was pulling and pulling. There was a huge hedge and I thought he would stop, but he swerved and bolted off towards the road.

"He started to throw himself around and bucked me off. I landed and I remember my left foot being right up near my face."

 Airlifted: Faye was flown to Royal Cornwall Hospital (Treliske) where she underwent surgery

 Faye tried to stand but the pain was too great, so laid in the field in agony for 40 minutes while waiting for the emergency services to arrive.

She was flown to Treliske Hospital, in Truro, Cornwall, underwent a gruelling operation.

 She returned to the Scilly Isles but her long road to recovery has not been without its challenges.

Faye said: "There is no physiotherapy on the island, the NHS would send someone out once a week to provide that service, but if it's windy or raining or foggy the flight gets cancelled.

"I had access to the specialist police rehabilitation programme but I was still wheelchair-bound with my leg in a cast for 19 weeks.

"It was a 50% mental, 50% physical challenge. I couldn't make myself put weight on the leg, I was scared.

"I am a really outdoorsy person - I horse ride, I hike, I swim; you name it, I am out there.

"I had the accident and suddenly I was bed-bound and couldn't do anything by myself. I was terrified, really petrified. I spent all my life walking then 19 weeks not walking.

"I just remember looking at my leg, re-training the nerves, trying to make my ankle joint move, saying 'come on'."

 Challenge: Faye is preparing to undertake a 10-day trek along the Great Wall of China for charity

 Faye is now back on her feet but she is still limited by her accident.

Instead of chasing criminals she will be investigating crimes from her new desk job with CID, in Plymouth.

She said: "I can walk, I can climb stairs up and down, I am pretty active but I can't run or jump because I had a bone graft in my leg.

"It is an injury that's not going to be there forever but I will never be completely like I was before.

"Physically I am almost there, but I am always going to be conscious that my leg is full of metal."

In addition to starting her new role, Faye is also preparing to undertake a 10-day trek along the Great Wall of China to raise money for Cornwall Air Ambulance.