A COUNCILLOR today defended a decision to cut down trees around spike-topped railings in a children's playground after a nine-year-old boy underwent life-saving surgery when he became impaled.

Coun Barry Guttridge, executive member for Burnley leisure and parks, spoke out after Anne-Marie Heys blasted the authority for lopping trees but leaving the railings in place.

Mrs Heys collected a 300-name petition after her son ,Joshua Bonney, fell from a tree on to the railings.

He underwent a three-hour operation after the spike punctured his liver, diaphragm and lung.

She said that the council had not learned anything from the accident.

But Coun Guttridge said that the council were using their "common sense" and that any spikes left on the railings would be ground down by council staff.

Councillor Guttridge said: "It is a common-sense approach to alleviate the problem of easy access over the railings.

"The railings are not viewed as the problem. They have always been around parks and playgrounds.

"If we take away the trees at a certain height this will prevent any child climbing above them.

"But we will continue to check on every railing. If there is a point on the railings which looks dangerous we will grind it down." Coun Guttridge defended the council's plans that it would take until 2008 to complete the project in playgrounds, parks and cemetries.

He said: "It is going to be a long, drawn-out process. We are firstly going to check out all the play groups and that will be done straight away..

"We are going to ask residents' groups to look out for the most dangerous places.

"It will be an on-going programme. It is an issue that needs addressing every single time we see a problem."