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A ROOKIE cop was so determined to make his first arrest he chased a suspect despite having a BRANCH stuck in his eye.

PC John Nash, 25, only realised the horrific extent of the injury after the man he arrested told him: Mate, youve got to go to hospital.

John had been in the force only six days when he started pursuing two cars being driven erratically.

One of the cars pulled over and the PC began to chase the men but he slipped head-first into a bush and skewered his eye on the end of a branch.

The six-inch piece of wood snapped off but, incredibly, John was unaware how badly he was hurt. It had pierced his eyelid, smashed a cheekbone, forced itself under his eyeball and had come to rest against his brain. But John carried on chasing one of the men in Rochdale, Gtr Manchester.

He said: I thought Id hit my baton as I fell. I just thought Id given myself a black eye.

The suspect was still trying to get over a fence and I grabbed his ankle. He kept referring to my face and I said, That doesnt matter come on. Then somebody said, Get an ambulance quick. I wondered whether he was talking about me.

John underwent three hours of surgery at Blackburn Royal Hospital, Lancs. He has retained some sight in the eye and hopes it will return to normal.

Surgeon Annaswami Vijaykumar said: If the wood had entered a few millimetres differently the eye would have been permanently damaged. John, who is engaged, added: I would do the same again tomorrow. I love my job.

The suspect was later released.