A five-year-old boy left fighting for his life after being hit by a van outside his school is out of danger, according to his family.

Oswaldtwistle schoolboy Mohammed Hameed Akbar, five, known to his family as Hameed, had just stepped off a traffic island in front of St Paul’s CE when he was hit by a van in Union Road.

Hameed, who had been with his three sisters, aged 15, eight and six, and an eight-year-old cousin, was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital but was later transferred to Pendlebury Children’s Hospital.

He was treated for a fractured skull, bleeding on the brain and a broken leg.

Following the accident, thought to involve a Ford Transit flatbed tipper, his family have demanded to know why there was no lollipop lady on duty.

Hameed’s elder sister Aksa, 15, told of the horrifying moment when she saw her young brother lying face down in the middle of the street.

She said: “At first I thought he might not be badly hurt.

"Then when the ambulance came they told me to talk to him and ask him if he was hurt anywhere.

“When I did, that’s when he started crying for the first time.

"He was trying to tell us what was wrong but because of his head injury, he couldn’t speak.”

His mother Nahida, who would normally have picked him up but had stayed at home in nearby Albert Street because she was feeling unwell, was contacted by mobile phone and dashed to the scene to be at her son’s side.

Police are now asking for the driver of a grey Isuzu pick-up truck to come forward as officers believe the driver could be a crucial witness.

The accident, happened at 3.40pm on Wednesday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police on 01254 51212.