THE family of a Burnley schoolboy left fighting for life after nipping out to buy cereal are maintaining a bedside vigil as they ‘hoped and prayed’ he would pull through yesterday.

Luke Mason was airlifted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool with serious head injuries after the accident involving a blue Mazda 3 hatchback in Lyndhurst Road on Wednesday.

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The 13-year-old, who lives with his mum Sarah, dad Ben, and siblings Madison, seven, Mia, eight, Lillie, five, and Harlo, one, in Mitella Street, remains in a critical condition.

Firefighters from Burnley used specialist airbags to free the Blessed Trinity student, while an air ambulance landed nearby at Towneley playing fields ready to fly him and Sarah, who will turn 33 on Sunday, to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital, at around 7.50am.

He had popped across the road after being sent to buy breakfast cereal from a local shop, and was found lying under the car by his mum after she went out to look for him.

Luke’s dad Ben, 31, posted on Facebook: “Thanks for all your lovely messages of kind words. Luke is in a bad way. We are all hoping and praying he will pull through.”

Sarah said: “Come on, baby, you can do this. Mum and dad know how strong you are, and we need your cheeky face back giving us your lip. We love you, baby.”

A police investigation is still under way, a spokesman said.

No arrests have been made. The 45-year-old male driver of the car was not injured in the accident.

The manageress at The Dainty Shop, in Lyndhurst Road, told the Lancashire Telegraph about the effort to help Luke.

She said Linda Robinson, from the Full Monty Sandwich Bar nearby, helped to reassure Luke while holding a scarf on his head injuries.

She said: “Linda was talking to him, saying loads of people were there looking after him. He was not breathing at first, she said.

“He was starting to moan and he started to move but I was telling him not to.

“He was bleeding and his body was under the car.

“Then we could hear sirens, and the paramedics took over.”

After the collision, concerns were raised over traffic in the street.

Linda Robinson said: “I have been here 15 years and it’s dangerous. It’s an exceptionally busy road.”

Leader of Burnley Council, Mark Townsend, said: “Lyndhurst Road is extremely busy.

“There have been some difficulties in the past, but we need to look at it again to make sure it’s as safe as it possibly can be.”

And Cllr John Fifield, whose Bank Hill ward covers the road, said some drivers ‘ignored’ parking restrictions.