TWO youngsters who survived an horrific knife attack by their own father were given VIP treatment on an all-expenses-paid day at Blackpool Pleasure Beach.

Six-year-old Mathew Osbourne was lucky to be alive after the incident earlier this year in which his throat was slashed.

His little sister Jamie, four, was also found badly injured by paramedics who burst into the family's flat on Poulton Road, Fleetwood.

But when theme park bosses stepped in with a stretch limousine to whisk the toddlers to the Promenade venue for an afternoon among the rides and attractions, it was all forgotten for a few fun-packed hours.

A lavish lunch was laid on for the youngsters as well as mum, Tanya and her sister, Janine, who gave the children a day they would never forget.

Said Tanya: "It was all just wonderful.

"I really can say that I felt like crying when the limousine arrived to whisk us all away.

"I would like to thank everyone who made it such a fantastic day for Mathew and Jamie.

"They were so excited about the whole day - they were up at 6 o' clock in the morning waiting for the car!"

Mathew managed to stop chasing Pleasure Beach character Bradley Beaver around for long enough to say: "Bradley is really nice and we arrived in a limousine that the Spice Girls were once driven around in."

The action-packed day was billed as a team effort by Pleasure Beach security man Andy Entwistle who helped make the children's day extra special.

He said: "We couldn't have put on a day like this without Geoffrey Thompson giving the go-ahead - and all of the staff donated something to make the day that bit better."

Radio Wave presenter Caroline Ashton, who helped organise the day out for the children, said: "It just goes to show that something good can come out of something bad."

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