AN 11-year-old boy has suffered serious spinal injuries after cheating death for the second time in three months.

Christopher Williamson, of Tyldesley, is lucky to be alive after falling 25-ft through the roof of a disused garage, on to a concrete floor.

The former St George's Primary School pupil climbed on to the roof of the building opposite his home in Factory Street, before crashing through a plastic skylight.

His eight-year-old playmate raced to Christopher's home to tell his sister, Kirsty, 13, who frantically enlisted the help of nearby mechanics.

They forced off wooden panels from the boarded-up door with a crowbar in a bid to get to Christopher, who was discovered sitting on the floor, talking on his mobile phone.

Despite suffering the dramatic fall, he had been able to call 999 and an ambulance arrived within minutes.

Christopher was admitted to the Royal Bolton Hospital which had been placed on emergency standby, where he was at first treated for a broken finger and damaged ankle.

However, doctors later found the youngster had also fractured a vertebrate and crushed another, which meant any movement could trap a nerve, causing paralysis.

Thanks to his age, surgery is currently thought to be unnecessary, but Christopher will be kept in hospital for at least four weeks.

His mother and step-father, Angela and Timothy Gleave, have remained by his bedside since the accident on Monday evening.

His grandmother, Mildred Greensmith, said: "His mother was hysterical. She is completely heart-broken. She's taken time off work to be with him constantly."

This is the second escape for Christopher, who was involved in a serious car accident with the rest of his family on Easter Monday in April, in which he suffered cuts, bruises and whiplash.

Mrs Greensmith added: "He's lucky to be alive. He's very fortunate to have had no internal organ damage."

Local residents are concerned about the accident as the disused garage backs on to land often used as a play area by children, and youngsters have scaled the roof in the past.

Christopher's neighbour, Lorraine Bedson, said: "I agree they shouldn't have been climbing up there, but children will be children. What is more important is that they shouldn't have had access. Adults can see the dangers - children can't."

Police are investigating the accident and workmen employed by Wigan Council are believed to have removed the pile of wooden panels he used to reach the roof.

Christopher is due to start Hesketh Fletcher High School in September and is also looking forward to a holiday to Cyprus in October.