POLICE are still investigating the cause of an horrific trike accident in which a Blackpool bride-to-be was so badly injured her legs had to be amputated.

Accident investigation officers could take several weeks to report on Saturday's accident, in which 42-year-old Dawn Auty's bridal gown got caught in the workings of the trike on which she was a passenger, trapping both her legs.

Dawn, who is battling cancer, was so seriously injured that both her legs had to be amputated below the knee at the scene of the accident on Albert Road, shortly before 1pm.

She was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where her condition yesterday (Wednesday) was said to be 'comfortable'.

The nurse was on her way to be married to fianc Stephen Flood at Blackpool's Central Methodist Church and was almost there when the accident happened.

Eyewitnesses said a gust of wind appeared to blow Dawn's dress under the trike, where it got caught up in the 1000cc Yamaha's mechanism, dragging her under the trike.

The vehicle -- understood to be a converted motorbike -- was removed from the scene on a low-loader by police traffic officers for a safety examination.

Lancashire Police's initial inquiries showed it was 'an appalling and terrible accident'.

The tragedy has raised concerns about the safety of trikes, particularly in Blackpool where purpose-built trikes have been given the council's go-ahead for use as taxis from next Easter.

But Phil Reed of MBT Customers Ltd, the company supplying Blackpool's first Rewaco trike taxi, stressed the difference between privately converted motorbikes with stabilisers, and purpose built trikes.

"The purpose built trike is basically like a car. All of the moving parts are fully enclosed so you have got no chance of sprockets or drive shafts whirring around or anything like that. It's German manufactured so they designed it with safety at the forefront of everything," he said.

A spokeswoman for Blackpool Borough Council said the trike operator had agreed to a full risk assessment when permission was granted in August.

In a statement, Mr Flood said: "This was a tragic accident and no-one was to blame.

"We are all absolutely devastated by what has happened and we would like to be left alone during this difficult time to concentrate on helping Dawn get through this."