AN EIGHT-YEAR-OLD girl was thrown to the floor after equipment in a Bradford playground collapsed, striking her on the head and back.

Sumayah Akhtar was left with a bruised back and swollen ear after the incident in Darren Street, Tyersal, on Thursday.

She had been playing with her cousins on Thursday, walking on a thick chain linked between two wooden poles when it snapped, bringing the pole crashing down on top of her.

Her mum Sabina Akhtar, 34, of Woolcombers Way, Tyersal, said: "She was hurt and shaken. It just wasn't safe. If that pole had landed on my one-year-old she wouldn't have been so lucky. It was a thick, heavy type log."

Mrs Akhtar said she called Bradford Council immediately to report what happened and the incident was logged, but she was furious when she passed the spot the next day to see nothing had been done.

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"The pole was still lying there and nothing had been taped off. No one had been to check it or any of the other play equipment there. It's so irresponsible."

Ward councillor Alan Wainwright (Tong,Lab) said he would have expected an immediate response from whoever owned the play area.

"They should have been out there straight away to look at it and make sure the rest of the area was safe. I'll get on to them straight away. We have to be confident that children will be safe," he said.

It later emerged that the playground was the responsibility of housing provider Affinity Sutton, which has since made the area safe and visited the family and.

Mrs Akhtar took her daughter to their GP for a check-up after she complained about being in pain. She said: "She's bruised and sprained her back and her ear was very swollen but that's starting to settle now. The doctor said her back would probably get worse before it starts to improve though. You expect your children to be safe in play parks, not put in danger. The whole of that play park needs to be safety checked now."

Cllr Wainwright said he had made inquiries after hearing about what happened to Sumayah and had discovered the playground was owned by Affinity Sutton - not Bradford Council.

A spokesman for Affinity Sutton said: "Affinity Sutton is very sorry to hear that a child has been injured while playing at the Darren Street Play Area. As soon as we found out about the incident we visited the family and our repairs team made the area safe."