British tourist returns home after Thailand balcony fall

Maddi Neale-Shankster was on holiday on the island of Koh Phangan when she fell

A woman who fell from a second-floor balcony while on holiday in Thailand has returned home to the United Kingdom after a huge fundraising effort by her family.

Maddi Neale-Shankster was left paralysed from the waist down, after the fall on New Year’s Eve.

The beauty therapist, from Holbrooks, was on holiday on the island of Koh Phangan with her partner and friends.

More than £73,000 was raised through crowdfunding, enabling the 21-year-old to fly home on Monday, her family said.

Her parents Karen Moseley-Neale and Jamie Shankster flew to Thailand after the accident.

She landed in the UK on Monday after treatment in Thailand

The donations covered medical costs and her journey back to the UK with a specialist team, they said, after discovering her travel insurance would not foot the full bill.

Ms Neale-Shankster had suffered a broken back, two collapsed lungs and her ribs had pierced her liver in the fall.

Her condition improved significantly following back surgery and her family hope she now begin further rehabilitation in the UK.