The student is badly hurt and is on a ventilator at the Royal Infirmary but her condition is not thought to be life threatening

Lothian and Borders Police

A spokesman for Lothian and Borders Police said she was badly hurt, suffering a crushed windpipe, a broken neck bone, a stroke and severe bruising.

The spokesman said: "The rickshaw was carrying three people and the girl had a scarf flowing around her which become caught in one of the wheels.

"The girl was pulled off the rickshaw by her scarf and she suffered severe injuries as the scarf tightened around her neck.

"She was with friends and they called the emergency services."

He said it was the first serious incident involving pedicabs in Edinburgh which are a popular method of transport around the city among tourists and late night revellers.

"There will be a police investigation but this is purely a tragic accident. The student is badly hurt and is on a ventilator at the Royal Infirmary but her condition is not thought to be life threatening," he added.

The rickshaw is the favoured method of transport in Asia, where the authorities are trying to regulate the amount on the roads.