A mum was left distraught after her son was left ‘screaming’ and ‘covered in blood’ following an incident at a County Durham leisure park.

Faye Hanson, 41, from Gateshead, was left distraught after her son, Oscar, 6, suffered a facial injury while riding a twin-seater pedal kart at Holmside Park in Chester-le-Street on March 17.

She said her son had been playing on various things at the park before asking to go on the karts, before another mother at the park recommended Oscar use a different kind of kart – which Mrs Hanson said was “much faster.”

The park said the twin-seater pedal karts do not have an age restriction as they are designed for parents and guardians to ride with the child – and added that Mrs Hanson had not entered the kart with her son.

The Northern Echo: A mum was left distraught after her son was left ‘screaming’ and ‘covered in blood’

Mrs Hanson said she had been following her son while was in both karts, but was unable to keep up with her son as he enthusiastically took off in the twin-seater, before pedalling into a tyre barrier and injuring his lip.

A Holmside Park spokesperson said she informed them she had decided not to enter the kart as she was wearing a “bulky backpack.”

They added the speed of the pedal karts is determined by the person pedalling and gradient of the track. 

Mrs Hanson said that she raised the incident to Holmside Park and was left unsatisfied with the response – adding it lacked “compassion” for her son and “acknowledgement” for the event.

She said: “As soon as it happened, he was screaming and covered in blood, and I was absolutely desperate to get him out to the car to go to hospital.

“I felt like it was very obvious that he needed to be at hospital and there wasn’t any first aid that could be performed then and there. He needed to go to hospital.

“I found their response very lacking in compassion and any kind of empathy, and even any kind of acknowledgement for the really quite traumatic event that happened.

“I found it really quite heartless.”

The Northern Echo: A mum was left distraught after her son was left ‘screaming’ and ‘covered in blood’

A spokesperson for Holmside Park said it “accepts no liability” for the injury or accident which took place on the pedal kart track.

They added the park had contacted the mother and wished her child well.

They said: “We are aware of an accident that happened on our pedal kart track on 17th March involving a child.

“Holmside Park accepts no liability for this injury or accident, but we did contact the mother expressing our wishes that the child was ok and made a full recovery.”

She said her son’s injury caused her to panic and felt the first aid provision at the park had slowed her down when trying to get her son treatment.

She said she took her son to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Gateshead, before being referred to the Maxillofacial 'MaxFax' department at Newcastle's RVI.

The park said safety cameras showed the child left the park within 6 minutes and 18 seconds of the incident and the first aider tried to speak to the family, but only for 48 seconds before Mrs Hanson left.

Mrs Hanson said Oscar is recovering well, the cut on his lip is healing, and he has bounced back from the injury.

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She questioned why the park did not require children to wear helmets when using the karts.

Holmside Park said the activity has very clear signs advising that children are to be supervised by a parent or guardian while participating – and added this is also explained in the welcome safety video. 

They said: “Holmside Park tries its utmost to limit the risks to all visitors, and are proud of our overall safety record:

  •  “We have full instructions during the welcome video
  • “We have further rules of play at the entrance point 
  • “We have twin seater pedal karts so younger children and parents can ride together, reducing the risk to the child as the parent controls the speed of the pedal kart. 
  • “We have a barrier system stopping the pedal karts leaving the track
  • “We are inspected regularly by the RAII inspector and are a member of the AIP.”