FIREFIGHTERS had to lift a car off a boy after an accident as he went home to watch last night's England soccer match.

Luke Purcell, eight, suffered a broken right leg when he was in collision with one vehicle -- which then knocked him underneath a Renault Clio, just an hour before kick-off in the game against Romania.

Firefighters stabilised the parked Renault Clio car so that it would not roll on to Luke before lifting it so that paramedics could treat him.

The accident happened at 6.37pm yesterday in Halifax Road, Brierfield, opposite Holy Trinity Primary School.

The accident means Luke and his family will miss out on a planned fortnight's holiday in Lanzarote. They have had to cancel the holiday they were due to take next week.

Station Officer Steve Cope, of Burnley fire station, said: "He was conscious all the time and quite relaxed although he was in some pain. He was a very brave little boy." Luke, of Park Lane, Brierfield, who was wearing an England shirt, was crossing the road when he was in collision with a Ford Fiesta.

The impact knocked Luke to the ground and he rolled underneath the parked Renault.

He was not trapped under the car but the fire brigade was called in to help paramedics get to him.

Halifax Road was closed for 20 minutes and traffic diverted along Heyhead Street while Luke, a pupil at Holy Trinity primary school, was brought out from under the car and taken to Burnley General Hospital where he was in a stable and satisfactory condition today.

The car driver, David Cookson, 41, of Rochester Drive, Burnley, was not hurt.

Luke's dad Bernard said: "He told me he saw the car and tried to turn back but it was too late.

"He's a keen footballer and he was looking forward to watching the match.

"We've a history in my family of things going wrong just before holidays," said Mr Purcell.

"Only last week I was saying "something's bound to happen' and it has."

He said Luke was expected to be in traction for at least six weeks.