POLICE today warned youngsters about the dangers of playing in the street after a five-year-old boy suffered serious head injuries in an accident with a car.

But residents near the area where Louis Bannister was injured said there are no facilities for youngsters to play.

Police said Louis, of Record Street, Barnoldswick, was playing football in the street when he ran from between parked vehicles into the road and into the path of a car.

He suffered a fracture to the skull and cuts to his head in the accident which happened at 6.55pm yesterday in Beech Street, Barnoldswick.

He was taken to Burnley General Hospital where early today he was said to be conscious and in a stable condition.

Prayers were said for Louis in the morning assembly at his school today.

A spokesman for Barnoldswick CE School said that Louis was in their thoughts and they wished him a speedy recovery.

Traffic sergeant Eric Marshall said that the past six months there had been an increase in accidents in the Pennine police division involving both youngsters and adults being injured when going into the road from between parked vehicles.

He said: "There are dangers of children playing in the street.

"Parents like to keep their youngsters near to home but our advice must be that where there is a play area available that they should be used."

Insp Steve Baines said Louis was playing football in the street with friends when he apparently chased the ball and ran out from between parked cars into the path of a Vauxhall Frontera driven by local man Robert Arthur Carlos.

Insp Baines said the driver braked but could not avoid an accident.

Accident investigation officers attended and the road was closed for about two hours.

Insp Baines said there were a number of witnesses to the incident.

Resident Linda Ensby, who lives in Cobden Street, opposite where the accident happened, said: "I was so shocked when I found out about the accident. I had seen some children playing football earlier but don't actually know what happened.

"I think there should definitely be a play area or somewhere for the children to go so they don't have to play on the streets. It's so dark and dismal round here at night and there's very little lighting. I wouldn't want to walk around here after about 6pm.

"I have been here six years now and there are a lot more children here than there were. They sometimes play on the back street but when cars are parked there they have nowhere else to go so they end up playing on the street.

"There are a lot of little ones who will be growing up over the next 12 months to two years and will be wanting to play out too."

Roger Vincent, from the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (ROSPA) said: "The street or the road is not the place to play football, it should be contained to the garden or a park.

"School age children are more at risk on the roads than anywhere else. If there is a problem with lack of facilities in the community, that should be taken up with the local authority."