A LITTLE girl is recovering at home after she fell on metal railings impaling her thigh.

Nicole Launders, aged eight, of Bury Road, Radcliffe, was stuck on the railing for half an hour until she was cut free.

She had been playing football with her 10-year-old brother, Lee and cousins Jamie-Lee, aged nine and Dominic Ball, aged seven, when the accident happened on Wilton Gardens, Radcliffe.

The ball went over the wall of a neighbour's house and when Nicole went to get it back she climbed over a fence and slipped on to the railings, impaling her right leg on a four-inch spike.

They had been playing near her uncle Kenny Ball's house and when he heard what had happened he ran to the scene. He held her up to prevent any further damage while they waited for the emergency services.

He said: "It looked a lot worse than it was, luckily. I held Nicole until the fire brigade arrived to cut her free, I must have held her for about half an hour and my arms went numb, but I didn't want to let anyone take over as I had her in a good position and any movement could have increased the damage.

"Nicole was very brave and didn't cry at all, she just kept saying 'I love you Uncle Kenny' but she was frightened of having to have her leg cut off."

Nicole was rushed to Bury's Fairfield General Hospital on Thursday afternoon, and, despite the four-inch railing -- which was two inches wide at the base -- cutting deep into Nicole's thigh, it just missed both her kneecap and her muscle, causing only superficial damage. She needed just five stitches and was home within a few hours.

Nicole's mum, Gillian Cleg was horrified to see her daughter impaled on the fence and believes metal railings should be banned.

She said: "I ran round in my bare feet and was in a state of shock when I saw her. I thought it had gone right through.

"That type of railing should be banned, they are so dangerous. Nicole was very fortunate, but another child might not be so lucky."

Nicole, a Gorsefield Primary School pupil, said: "It hurt, but I didn't cry. Next time I will go through the gate and I would tell other children to do the same."