A ten-year-old boy was found lying unconscious in a stream after he plunged 30ft from a rope swing into a ravine.

It was feared Carl Hartley, pictured, had suffered a broken back in the accident in Ravenscliffe, Bradford, yesterday afternoon as he played on the device known locally as the 'death swing'.

But the youngster escaped with bruising and was sent home from hospital last night.

His mother, Gloria Hartley, today spoke of her relief and told how the family had chopped down the swing - which has been at the spot for more than 30 years.

Mrs Hartley, 34, said: "He's had a lucky escape. At first the doctors thought he'd broken his back but luckily it was just bruising.

"Carl was really shocked. His hands slipped and he fell right down into the stream and smashed his head on a brick. He said he managed to turn himself as he fell so he didn't land on his back.

"His head was under the water and he was unconscious for a few minutes but luckily his friends managed to pull him out.

"I've heard of the death swing but I thought it was taken away years ago. Carl is a bit of a daredevil but he's vowed never to go near it again.

"As soon as I found out about it I decided to get my eldest son to go and chop it down so it can't happen to another child."

Carl, who lives in Rimswell Holt and goes to Hutton Middle School, was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary with back and neck injuries. He was treated for cuts and bruises.

Andrea Varley, 36, who went down to the spot with her partner, David Lambert, said: "He was completely disorientated and in pain when we found him. We ran down there as fast as we could after the children knocked on the door asking for help. David had a mobile phone so he called an ambulance straight away. We didn't want to move him because he'd hurt his back. The paramedics used a harness to lift him up as they thought he'd got spinal injuries.''

Kim Keating, who lives near the scene, said: "The whole tree needs to be cut down to stop children playing on the swing. Everyone knows it as the death swing and it's been there years.

"My own son broke his arm after going on it and my nephew chipped a bone in his leg after falling off it."

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