FINGERS and thumbs keep moving but if you're not careful they could get trapped. -- like poor Rebecca Bond's did.

The Ribbleton Avenue Junior School pupil was in agony when she turned up at the Accident and Emergency department of the Royal Preston Hospital with her dad Alan Bond.

The nine-year-old from Cedar Road, Ribbleton, had trapped her thumb in a car while climbing out of the back seat. Her dad acted quickly and got Rebecca straight to hospital.

Casualty staff at the Royal Preston Hospital (RPH) x-rayed her thumb before drilling a small hole in her nail to drain away the blood.

But Rebecca's injury is not uncommon, according to medical staff at RPH.

Sister Sarifa Kabir of Royal Preston Hospital's Accident and Emergency department, told The Citizen that in the past year 429 patients attended the Preston hospital with a finger injury. All were less than 16 years old and 71 were toddlers aged five and under.

Sister Kabir said: "Accidents can happen at work, play and in the home, crushing tearing and lacerating or amputating the tips of fingers and thumbs. You may damage the skin, soft tissue, bone and nailbed.

"People should also be very careful and put plug guards over sockets to prevent little fingers from injury, take care closing car doors, cleaning lawnmowers and chopping vegetables."

Brave Rebecca, who has a twin sister Danielle, forgot to move her thumb out of the door and slammed it shut. She was outside her grandmother's house on Tuesday, May 7, when the accident happened.

"I was worried about her, but having five children I've been through these things before. I have told Rebecca not to keep her fingers on the doors when she closes them and I think she'll be very careful in the future," said the youngster's mum Deborah Womack, who has four other children.

Fortunately for Rebecca her injury has healed well. She is back at school and enjoys playing with her friends.