A FURIOUS father claims customers walked over his seriously injured five-year-old son to get into a shop.

As reported in the BEN yesterday, Niall Rhodes was nearly crushed to death in an horrific accident outside Dorothy Maes newsagents in Newearth Road, Walkden.

His dad Andy Rhodes stormed: "People were stepping over my son to get to the shop. It's absolutely unbelievable.

"What sort of people are they?" Niall, of Westminster Road, Walkden, was sitting on his bike outside the newsagents at the junction of Hilton Lane and Newearth Road, on Sunday afternoon when the accident happened.

A Ford Fiesta driven by Neil Patterson, of Hilton Lane, Walkden, is understood to have swerved out of control at the mini roundabout in Newearth Road.

It is believed the boy only survived because he was wedged against a newspaper box outside the shop.

Niall suffered two broken legs, a broken arm and breaks to his thigh, ankle, shoulder and elbow. He was treated by paramedics on the scene as firefighters battled to free him.

Niall was taken to the Royal Bolton Hospital where he underwent more than two hours of emergency surgery.

He is expected to remain in hospital for up to eight weeks.

His dad also alleged that despite repeated requests the newsagent at first refused to close the store.

"He only did it after being asked several times," claimed Mr Rhodes. But the claims were denied by shop owner Richard Fosters. He said: "We stopped serving as soon as the accident happened.

"People were still coming into the shop but we told them we were closed.

"We couldn't shut the door right away because the ambulance crew were standing in the doorway, but as soon as they had gone the door was bolted and the shop was shut for about half an hour."

Niall was out with his auntie, Diane Sunter, his cousin, and his younger brother, Declan, four when the accident occurred.

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