Boy's horror injury at playground

A playground had to be shut after a young boy tripped and split his head open on a metal piece of equipment.
Joshua BourneJoshua Bourne
Joshua Bourne

Eight-year-old Joshua Bourne was left with a nasty gash above his eye after hitting his head on a roundabout on the play area in Platt Bridge on Saturday afternoon.

He was rushed to Wigan Infirmary following the alarming incident opposite his home on Hillcrest but was saved a trip to Manchester Children’s Hospital after a nurse decided it could be stitched.

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Young Joshua had around a dozen sterile strips put in place to close the wound before it was bandaged.

The playground on Hillcrest, Platt Bridge, where Joshua was injuredThe playground on Hillcrest, Platt Bridge, where Joshua was injured
The playground on Hillcrest, Platt Bridge, where Joshua was injured

Dad Andrew claims the incident happened because the matting around the swings and roundabout was not firmly secured and had raised up in several places.

Wigan Council responded to his concerns by sending someone out to lock the gate and place tape ordering people not to enter the play area on Monday.

The council says the play area will remain closed until repairs to the matting are completed.

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Andrew, 42, said: “Joshua was out with his sisters and a few friends. They’d been playing in the morning and they went back after lunch and they had been out about 15 minutes when I heard an almighty scream from my daughter.

The playground on Hillcrest, Platt Bridge, where Joshua was injuredThe playground on Hillcrest, Platt Bridge, where Joshua was injured
The playground on Hillcrest, Platt Bridge, where Joshua was injured

“She shouted: ‘Mum, help’. My wife went out and then screamed at me to phone for an ambulance.

“Round the swings there was this rubber matting and it had got raised out of the ground. Bits of it were quite high.

“He’s tripped on this raised matting and smashed his face on the bowl of the roundabout. It’s one of those where you climb into it and then someone else spins you.

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“Joshua had a restless night Saturday and was quite restless on Sunday night too. He keeps touching the lint bandage in his sleep.

“It’s obviously still on his mind, he talks about it all the time. He can see the park out of the front window and he keeps looking at it and then pointing at his head and saying it hurts.

“I spoke to the council and when the man came to look at it I said it was dangerous and something needed doing. He asked me what had happened and I showed him where the matting had raised up.

“He said that all he could do was close the park and I said that was better than someone else coming in and possibly getting hurt.”

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Platt Bridge Community School pupil Joshua, who has autism and learning difficulties, went for a check-up at the GP with his mum Andrea to ensure there was nothing untoward underneath the bandages causing him pain.

Paul Barton, assistant director for environmental services, said: “We take the safety of all those who use our playgrounds very seriously and when we were alerted of this incident we took action immediately.

“All of the council’s playgrounds are checked for defects in line with industry best practice.”