A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy from the North-East fractured his skull when he fell 12ft through a skylight while on holiday in Lanzarote.

Callum Jones hit his head on the floor when he fell into a basement, during a family holiday.

He was flown to nearby Gran Canaria, where he spent ten days in intensive care.

He is now recovering in a hospital ward, but will not be allowed to fly home to Stanley, County Durham, for at least another week.

His father, Craig Jones, and stepmother, Emma Soulsby, criticised travel company Thomas Cook, saying it had not provided immediate support.

Ms Soulsby, 29, said: “It was so awful. Craig’s daughter ran out with my daughter and told us that Callum had fallen through the skylight.

We ran over to it and looked down and he had fallen about 12ft.

“He was motionless and unconscious.”

Ms Soulsby stayed with Callum, a pupil at Greenland Primary School, in Stanley, until his mother, Louise Renwick, 29, flew over to be with him.

Ms Soulsby said their group were moved to another hotel after complaining that it was dangerous for children to play there.

She said: “There were skylights everywhere – six or seven on ground level over the basement and they were all either cracked or not safe.”

Ms Soulsby said the accident happened at 7pm on Saturday, September 18, but that a Thomas Cook rep did not go to see them until the next morning. Mr Jones, 35, a factory supervisor, said: “The most upsetting is that Thomas Cook said the hotel had no apparent hazards.

A Thomas Cook spokesman said: “We were really sorry to hear about Callum Jones’ injury and wish him a full and speedy recovery.

“We are doing all we can to help Callum and his family.

“Thomas Cook takes all accidents affecting our customers very seriously and we are providing assistance to the Jones family at this very difficult time.”