A TODDLER has been left with bruises to his face and thighs after the trolley he was strapped into fell on its side because of a faulty wheel.

Eighteen-month-old Roman Herbert crashed to the ground at Tesco, in Ocotal Way, after one of the front wheels came off the trolley while his father, Brad, was picking up a carton of orange juice.

Roman was given first aid at the scene after the accident on Monday.

But Brad said he could not believe it when the duty manager told him ‘you should be more careful with your son’.

“Roman is a bit quiet at the moment but the swelling and bruising is going down.

“We just don’t know how he is going to be next time I try and get him in the trolley,” said the 29-year-old, of Upper Stratton.

“The aftercare is just disgusting.

“For somebody to come out with that comment is not warranted.

“I did everything I could, it’s down to them having a faulty trolley.

“For a father who takes all preventative measures to make sure his son is safe in any given situation, including making sure at a supermarket he is strapped in securely to the trolley, to be told this was down to my negligence, when in fact 100 per cent of the negligence was due to Tesco not taking appropriate action to ensure its customers are safe, is completely inappropriate.”

Brad, who is an executive claims director, had walked around to the front of the trolley and was just about to take some juice when he heard a bang and turned around to see the trolley and Roman had toppled over.

“He then proceeded to hit items on the shelf with his head as the weight of the trolley carried him to the floor with a thud,” he said.

“As you can imagine the next noise was my son screaming at the top of his lungs with a swollen left cheek and redness to his face.

“We will probably pursue an injury claim for my son.

“I am just thankful that we were only by the juice cartons and we were not outside on the concrete or by the wine or the household goods, it could have been so much worse than it was.

“We received the bog standard apology email after my wife enquired with the customer service department, but an apology does not help my son who, in no doubt, was traumatised by his experience.

“There was not even so much on the day itself as let us get this shopping for you.

“Or even a suggestion of perhaps a chocolate for my son.

“I want to warn other parents who don’t give a trolley a full MoT before placing their children in them.”

A spokesman for Tesco said: “We have apologised to Mr Herbert for any distress caused.

“We can also reassure customers that all trolleys at the store have been checked as a precaution.”