COUNCIL bosses have said a metal fence on which a seven-year-old boy impaled his hand will not be removed.

Hasan Hussain slipped while attempting to climb the five-and-a-half foot fence to retrieve a football and impaled his hand on the spike.

He was playing close to his home when his ball went on to the site of the former St Joseph’s RC Church, in Every Street, Nelson, early on Saturday evening.

And it has now emerged that a second child suffered a horrific injury to his hand in a similar incident three weeks ago.

Zeeshaan Ashraf, 10, who attends Lomeshaye Primary School, ripped tendons and damaged nerves and muscle in his finger after slipping on the fence.

Zeeshaan’s uncle, Javed Ashraf, who lives with his nephew in Victoria Street, Nelson, is now backing Hassan’s family who are calling on the council to remove the railings.

Mr Ashraf said: “My nephew was out playing when his ball went over the fence and he tried to get it back.

"He slipped and fell and severely damaged his hand. He had to be transferred to Preston Hospital for a specialist operation to repair the nerves in his hand.

“We still don’t know if he will get all the movement back yet.

“That fence is ridiculous. If these incidents happened anywhere else the council would have been out and removed them by now.

“Lots of children play in Every Street because it has been cordoned off to cars.

"Something needs to be done.”

Whitefield Primary School pupil Hasan also underwent surgery on his hand to repair three deep lacerations to his right palm.

Iftekhar Bokhari, senior regeneration officer at Pendle Cuncil, said: “It’s unfortunate that youngsters have sustained injuries on the metal fencing in Every Street. But I must stress that the purpose of the fence is to keep people out of a building site.

“Injuries can happen when climbing over high security fences, which are designed to deter people from entering restricted areas.”

The council is now contacting local schools, mosques and churches to remind youngsters that the area is a building site and not suitable for playing in.