A COUPLE claim their five-year-old daughter was traumatised after a grass cutting machine came within inches of their picnic blanket.

Tom and Caroline Braham, who live in a village near York, say they were enjoying lunch with their two daughters and another youngster on the grass at West Bank Park, in Holgate.

Mrs Braham claims the sit-on mower's rotor blades came within a "shoe's width" of her daughter Anna, showering her with grass cuttings.

She says they shouted at the driver to stop because he was "frightening" the children.

But she alleges the mower then went towards them again.

Police investigated the incident but found no evidence of wrongdoing.

A spokesman for City of York Council spokesman they had "spoken to all concerned".

The spokesman refused to reveal the driver's identity.

"The girls are extremely upset about it," Mrs Braham said.

"He went round the very edge of our rug.

"I dived on top of Anna to act as a shield. "The girls were screaming and one of them told us she thought she would get chopped into little pieces."

A spokesman for City of York Council said: "The council does not comment on internal disciplinary issues.

"However, we can say that we have investigated an allegation of an incident at West Bank Park yesterday and have spoken to all concerned.

"We have reminded all staff of the guidelines for grass cutting in such environments but, in the circumstances, we do not feel we can do any more than that.

"The guidelines are a mixture of common sense and general health and safety rules."

Updated: 12:04 Monday, August 12, 2002