A YOUNGSTER cut his head on broken glass when he fell in an alley which only a month ago his father demanded should be cleared before someone got hurt.

Little Brandon Hayhurst, who is nearly two, fell from a high step in the alleyway near his Blackburn home. But his mum said the extent of Brandon's injuries were caused by the litter that is left strewn around -- including broken bottles. "If the alleyway had been cleared up Brandon would just have a bump but because there is glass it was much worse," said Stacey Gallagher, of Higher Bent Gap. "His face was full of blood and he had a massive cut. We took him to Blackburn Infirmary, where they had to remove glass from his head."

Brandon was treated at BRI where his wound was bonded together with medical glue -- a modern alternative to stitching.

Stacey thinks her son will carry the scars for life. "We were going to get him into modelling because he is so cute," she said. "But that could have all been ruined. He could be scarred for life."

Brandon's dad, David Hayhurst, was featured in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph in August demanding that the alleyway be cleared and calling it a health hazard.

"It's an eyesore and is very dangerous to all the kids that play round there," said 24-year-old Mr Hayhurst, 24 at the time. "I'm thinking of the other kids round here as well mine. The place is a health hazard." Despite the alleyway being an unadopted stretch, which means Blackburn with Darwen Council has no responsibility for the clearing of the area, which falls to the residents, council cleaners blitzed the area after our article for the safety of residents. Letters were also sent out warning residents that the area was not to be used as a dumping ground.

A council spokesman said: "As it is an unadopted road, it is not the responsibility of the council to clear it. It was cleaned up once because, irrespective of who owns it, we thought: let's just get it cleaned up.

"We would encourage the local residents to try to keep their area tidy, but if it becomes a environmental health hazard, then we will take another look."

Ward councillor Kate Hollern, said that the area is being monitored by the environmental health department and warned that the council would take action against against those responsible for throwing rubbish into the alley.

She said: "I used to live on that street and lots of children play there. The area is being monitored because we want to find out who is doing this and catch the people responsible."