A FIVE-year-old had to be taken to hospital after falling and cutting her leg in a ginnel strewn with broken glass and barbed wire.

Little Lisa Hodges was on her way home with her big brother Liam, 14, when she fell in the ginnel, which links Hodge House playing fields in Nelson to the housing estate.

The Holy Saviour RC Primary School pupil cut a large section of her leg, which had to be cleaned and dressed at Burnley General Hospital.

But if the cuts fail to heal properly she has been told she may have to go to Royal Blackburn Hospital for the temporary stitches to be replaced with permanent ones.

Lisa’s family is now calling on Pendle Council to carry out regular checks at the alleyway, which was flagged up as a problem area once before.

Sara Curtis, Lisa’s auntie, said: “There were broken glass bottles all over the floor and I don’t know what the barbed wire is there for, but it isn’t safe for children.

“It’s been reported to the council before and it was cleaned up, but now we’re back to square one.

“Lisa’s not allowed to walk, so she’s off school and we’re having to push her in a pushchair.”

The children were on their way home to Charles Street when Lisa fell on Sunday (3).

Sara’s calls are being echoed by Councillor Eileen Ansar, who said the council’s newly-formed environmental crime team should step up patrols in the area.

She said: “We have a full-time team which is meant to take care of things like this.

"It’s not fair and we shouldn’t be in this position.”

A spokeswoman for Pendle Council said: “We can confirm that that the council is clarifying who owns the land and the street cleaning arrangements for it.”