THE aunt of a nine-year-old boy impaled on a spike after jumping out of a tree has started a petition to have a playground made safe.

Catherine Simpson, of Kirkgate, Burnley Wood, has two children Carl, eight, and Chantelle, six, both of whom play in the same playground in Kirkgate where their cousin, Joshua Bonney, was injured.

Joshua, of Hollingreave Road, Burnley Wood, was jumping out of a tree when he fell on to the railings which punctured his liver, diaphragm and lung.

He was treated at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, Pendlebury, where an operation lasted nearly three hours.

Burnley Council has removed two of the trees from the playground and cut another back -- but left the sharp spikes.

Joshua's mum Anne-Marie Heys said: "My sister has started a petition to have the spikes removed from the playground. What they have done is not good enough. Obviously children will still climb and others could be injured." Joshua, a pupil at Burnley Wood Primary School, is now recuperating at home but will not be able to go back to school until August.

His mum added: "He is on paracetamol and unless he has any problems we will not have to take him back to the hospital.

"He has said he will never climb trees again but he can't wait to be able to go back out and play again.

"I took him for a walk to the end of the street which is when he realised just how tired he gets. Hopefully the school is going to arrange for him to have work sent up so we can keep him up to date with his schooling.

"He has missed his exams but I believe his teachers are going to rearrange them for him."

Burnley Council parks services manager Simon Goff said: "These were climbable trees, so they have been removed.

"I am aware there is a petition and we are also carrying out a risk assessment of the railings and will be reporting back in a couple of weeks.

"This will enable us to properly respond to the concerns the residents are expressing."

He said the petition will go to members and will the findings of the risk assessment will be reported back. Assessments are also being carried out at the council's other playgrounds.