A NINE-year-old boy knocked down after running into the road to retrieve a football has won his fight for life.

And the parents of Tyler Thomas, of Padgate Place, off Accrington Road, Burnley, have spoken of their relief and described the last three days as the "most terrifying time of their lives".

Tyler was left with a fractured skull and blood clot after being struck by a Citroen car when he ran into Accrington Road, to get the football at 6.25pm on Saturday.

His mum Sarah, 29, said that it had been "touch and go" whether Tyler would survive.

He spent almost two days in intensive care. A hole was drilled in his skull so doctors could monitor the blood clot.

But yesterday morning he was taken off life support after he was able to breathe on his own.

Tyler is now recovering in a ward of the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury. The family said doctors had told them they were yet unsure whether he would make a full recovery but that "everything looked normal".

His mother and father John, 34, who have two other children - Lewis, seven, and Ellie, four, - have been at his bedside since the incident.

Last March only few hundred yards away, Harrison Hartley, 14, of Harling Street, Rosegrove, died after being knocked down on the M65. It was believed he had also gone on the motorway to retrieve a football.

Lowerhouse Junior School pupil Tyler had been playing out with a friend on a field next to the road.

Sarah said: "We got a knock on the door saying he had been run over.

"I can't remember much after that. It was all a blur. I was hysterical, screaming and crying.

"We went with him to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where we were told he had a fractured skull and about three hours later we were told he was going to be transferred to Pendlebury.

"We didn't realise just how serious he was until they took us into a room in Pendlebury and explained to us that he was touch and go.

"It has been the most terrifying time of our lives.

"It was such a relief when they told us that he was going to be moved out of intensive care and that he could be taken off the life support machine."

Since coming off life support, Sarah said Tyler, who is a Manchester United fan, had been speaking a few words, but was still very groggy and had been vomiting.

She said: "He thinks he has just had a bad fall.

"We still don't know if he will make a full recovery because they don't know the extent of damage to his brain.

"They drilled a hole in his head and placed a pressure monitor in to monitor his condition. So far the doctors have said that it looks normal so fingers crossed.

"We don't know how long he will be in hospital for at the moment but we have been told that he won't be able to play football for at least six months because of his fractured skull."

The incident prompted angry residents who have long demanded railings be installed to fence the field off from the road.

Council leader Gordon Birtwistle has since pledged that the work will be carried out.

Sarah said she hoped something was done to improve safety for children.

She said: "If putting them up can stop another family going through what we have then I will support an application to put them up.

"I definitely won't be letting him play on there again, I will be taking him to the park where I can keep an eye on him."

Police are investigating the incident but say that Tyler ran into car's path.