A SEVEN-YEAR-OLD boy who suffered serious head injuries after he was hit by a van is ‘recovering well’.

Thembalane ‘Tete’ Ndou, was injured in a suspected hit-and-run on Whalley New Road, Blackburn, on Friday July 26.

Police, paramedics and the air ambulance were called to the incident at 6.40pm and Tete was airlifted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool with head injuries.

His worried parents, Josephine and Goodchild Ndou, have been at his bedside since Friday night, but speaking to the Lancashire Telegraph yesterday, Mrs Ndou said her son was recovering well.

She said: “He had an X-ray yesterday as he’s fractured his eye socket so we have to wait for the results of that, but he’s awake and talking and he’s doing very well.

“There’s talk of him being able to come off the oxygen today but we have to wait for the doctors to assess him again.”

Tete had been playing with his brother, Ngoni, 11, and a friend, when he was hit by the van.

Mrs Ndou said the family are still trying to piece together what happened.

She said: “I don’t know whether he just ran out or what, we are still trying to find out for ourselves.

“His brother and his friend came to see him yesterday, but I think they are both still a little in shock by it all.

“The police have been brilliant with us from the start but I think we’ll need support for some time.

“Tete suffered a major head trauma but we don’t expect him to be in hospital for a long time.

“We are hoping he’ll be ready to come back to Blackburn, whether that’s to the hospital there or home, very soon.”

The family, who live in Brownhill Drive close to the accident scene, said the police and the people of the Brownhill community have been amazing since the incident, and despite not knowing many residents, everyone has been supportive.

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Lancashire Telegraph:

Mrs Ndou said: “People are asking to come and see him in hospital. They’ve all been great.

“Sometimes it takes a tragedy to happen before you realise what a good world it is we live in.”

Mrs Ndou also expressed her gratitude to the staff at Alder Hey, saying a lot of people don’t realise what a fantastic place it is until they have to use the service.

A 25-year-old man from Clitheroe was arrested on Friday on suspicion of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of an accident, but was released under investigation.

Police are still appealing for witnesses and are particularly keen to hear from anybody with CCTV or dashcam footage.

Anyone with any information can contact the police on 101.