A MUM has warned of the dangers of broken glass in the town's parks after her five-year-old son almost severed an artery in his wrist.

Natasha King was on a day out at The Chester’s Recreation Ground in Westlea with Dylan when the youngster tripped and suffered the horror injury.

He cut open his left hand on a broken bottle, leaving him traumatised – and his parents were later told by Great Western Hospital staff the situation could have been life-threatening.

Natasha, 32, said: “I took him and his two cousins, Regan and Riley, to the park to get them out of the house for a while.

"He was running through the park and a broken bottle was hidden under the bark and he fell over and landed on it.

“As he tripped a piece of glass went into his hand and we ended up going straight to A&E.”

Dylan’s dad and his cousins ran back home to Oakham Close to grab a car and rushed him to hospital. It took 12 steri strips to close the wound.

She said: “The doctor at the hospital told me if it was a centimetre down from where it is he would have cut his main artery, so there was a chance he could have bled out.

“And he just missed the main tendon that runs through his hand so he was very lucky.

“Even now my partner keeps thinking about how close it was and questioning what would have happened if it was that centimetre lower. It would have been devastating, he’s our only child.”

Dylan had to have his hand and wrist in a splint for a week before it was taken off and have his dressing changed.

“It was awful, he’s completely traumatised by it,” Natasha added.

"Even when the doctors would try and look at it he wouldn’t let them, it was so traumatic for him.

“They had to give him gas and air just so they could change the dressing and get it clean so they could put something on it and they hoped it would knit back together nice and neat.”

Dylan was so upset by what happened he is reluctant to return to the park any time soon and he has become more dependent on his parents.

“He’s been in a lot of pain with it, he’s being very cautious with everything he does and doesn’t want to go back to the park yet,” Natasha said.

“He always spends a couple of hours outside on his pushbike, which he now can’t do, and we’re not sure when he can do that again. We live in a flat so that’s his freedom to be able to get out.

“It makes me wonder whether our children are safe in these play areas.

"People need to take responsibility for their own rubbish. We’re all adults and you wouldn’t do it at home so why would you do it in a public place?”

Natasha told the Adver that she along with others who have noticed littering in the park have reported it to Swindon Borough Council.

The Chester's is usually looked after by West Swindon Parish Council.

A spokeswoman for the parish council said: “Children’s safety is important to the parish council and to ensure this, all play areas in West Swindon are inspected on a regular basis.

"On Tuesday, July 14, Swindon Borough Council notified the parish council that this incident had been reported.

"Unfortunately littering and flytipping is a regular occurrence.

"We would urge everybody to take their litter home, use the public bins available and report any incidents of broken glass, needles or other hazards as soon as they are able to.”

A spokesman for the borough council said: “We have since checked the park and there was no glass, although the wooden surround had been vandalised. It has since been repaired.

"The parish council has also taken steps to improve the littering situation by moving a bin next to the play area.”