AWARD-WINNING Press journalist Tom O’Ryan was today due to undergo major surgery to his pelvis, which was fractured in a freak accident while he was cutting grass.

Two surgeons at Hull Royal Infirmary will pin his pelvis, and will also operate on a crushed vertebrae if they have time, said his partner Wendy Barry.

She hoped the operation, expected to last several hours, would ease the severe pain he had been suffering since the accident last week, for which he was being given large doses of morphine.

Mr O’Ryan, 58, of Brawby, near Malton, was hit in the back by a flying fence-post last week after tape became tangled in cutters attached to a tractor.

Ms Barry said the accident happened in a paddock a couple of fields away from their house, and he was only able to raise the alarm because he had his mobile phone with him and had a signal.

Ms Barry said: “He rang me at the house and said: ‘Come quick, I’ve had an accident.’’’

She rushed down to the paddock and discovered him lying in long grass. He suffered a severe loss of blood pressure and an air ambulance was called, which flew him to Middlesbrough, but could not land due to bad weather and so was re-directed to York Hospital. He was treated there before being transferred to Hull.

Ms Barry said: “He is still in a lot of pain. It’s because he’s lying on the injury. It’s not too bad when he’s still, but it’s really bad if he moves – even if he coughs.”

She said he was normally a chain smoker and had been given nicotine patches because he was, of course, unable to smoke.

Mr O’Ryan has thanked the many well-wishers who have sent him messages since the accident, saying: “The cards, phone calls and messages have been unbelievable – they’ve come from everywhere – and I do appreciate that.”