THE parents of a four-year-old girl have criticised a York school for the way it handled a playground accident which left her with a serious head injury.

Lucie Daniel was left needing three rows of stitches to close a wound on her forehead after she fell and gashed her head open during break time at Lakeside School, Clifton Moor, on March 4.

The school is working with City of York Council to investigate the incident which Lucie’s parents, Robert, 31 and Rebecca, 30, say has left them feeling “badly let down” by the school.

Mr Daniel, of Boothwood Road, Clifton Moor, said the fact the school did not call an ambulance and Lucie was taken to hospital by car meant there could have been delays in her getting treatment.

He also claims it took the school a fortnight after the incident to put padding on the sharp edge of the raised platform that caused Lucie’s injury.

Mr Daniel said: “I’m astonished that the school didn’t call an ambulance, but the decision was made by the head teacher, Mrs Latham, for Lucie to be taken to hospital in a car.

“It was just pure luck that the car wasn’t delayed getting Lucie to hospital.

“It was a really bad injury and she lost a lot of blood.

“I’d really like other parents at the school to know that the school has this attitude to an emergency.”

Mr Daniel, a house husband, whose wife works at Vue Cinema, Clifton Moor, said Lucie had to stay in hospital overnight after having her stitches and has been left with a four centimetre scar.

Lucie is now back at school after two weeks off, but Mr Daniel said the accident had knocked her confidence.

The school did not want to comment on the matter while an investigation was being carried out, but a spokeswoman for City of York Council, said: “City of York Council takes the health and safety of its pupils and staff very seriously and is working closely with Lakeside School while an investigation of an incident at the school takes place.”