A mother was injured by a vintage tractor after her four-year-old child managed to start the machine at a charity event in Norfolk.

The tractor was on display at a ‘Meet the Farmer’ event at Wroxham Barns near Hoveton on Saturday.

In a statement, Wroxham Barns said the child was able to start the tractor even though the keys had been removed. The machine then injured the mother before crashing into parked cars.

The statement inserted that the family was looked after by event organisers until help arrived.

READ MORE | Cattle Australia advocates shift to 'climate neutral'

It is believed the woman was not seriously hurt and was taken to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital for treatment.

The weekend's ‘Meet the Farmer’ event included displays of farm machinery and educational talks.

The event was jointly organised by Wroxham Barns and the Wroxham Bure Valley Rotary Club to raise money for charity.

READ MORE | CCTV mandatory in Welsh slaughterhouses from June

Both the Norfolk and Norwich SEND Association (Nansa) and The Motor Neurone Disease Association (MNDA) were set to benefit from the funds raised.

The statement from Wroxham Barns said an in-depth risk assessment had been conducted before the event and extra precautions were taken on the day, including disconnecting all tractor batteries.

It added: "Wroxham Barns and Wroxham Bure Valley Rotary Club take health and safety very seriously, and how the child was able to start the vehicle remains unknown.

"Wroxham Barns will provide all information and support required for any forthcoming investigation."