A six-year-old boy was seriously injured when a wall collapsed in Newburgh.
Darren Brown underwent surgery at Ninewells Hospital in Dundee after a falling rock from the structure crushed his leg.
His mother Kerry (34) said the rock tore through muscle tissue exposing bone and her son had been left traumatised by the incident.
The accident happened on Tuesday last week while Darren was playing at a park near the family home in Whitecraig Road.
Mrs Brown said: ”He had an operation on Wednesday and he’s on the mend but he’s going to be off school for a while and now and again he gets upset because he has wee flashbacks about the wall falling on him.
”The rock went right through his muscle to the bone. If it had landed another way it could have taken his leg off or he could have been killed.
”He was taken firstly to the GP in Newburgh, who had to bandage the wound. We then had to take him by car to Perth Royal Infirmary.
”At PRI they did not have a senior doctor so all they could do was take X-rays. After waiting for around two hours they organised an emergency ambulance to take him to Ninewells Hospital where he was admitted to the children’s ward.
”He then had to wait until Wednesday morning when he had an operation to mend his leg. My son went through a severe trauma from start to finish. He is unable to bend his leg and is currently on crutches and will be for some time. He will miss school for a while.
”He loves the outdoors and school activities so this has been a massive blow to him, and of course a major upset to all the family.”
Darren’s parents believe Fife Council is responsible for maintaining the wall and have written to complain. Last week, the council publicised the fact the retaining wall had collapsed, and that as a result the path between Hill Road and Guthrie Court that runs alongside it had been closed. But no mention was made of Darren’s injuries.’Neglect’Mrs Brown criticised the council for publicising the collapse without revealing that someone had been badly hurt.
”I’ve already put a letter into the council and am giving them 14 days to respond. I’m hoping they will admit liability for the wall collapsing. If my son had been inches the other way it could have been fatal.
”I also feel that it is sad that my son had to go through all this because of the council’s neglect and they cannot even mention the fact that someone was hurt anything to safeguard themselves.”
Local councillor David MacDiarmid said he would speak to the council’s transport service today.
He said: ”I hope the boy makes a full recovery and is up and about very soon. I know this wall is very close to a children’s playpark.
”I can’t help feeling that the situation we are in today could have had a much more serious outcome. I will liaise with Fife Council transportation services on Monday to find an acceptable and safe way ahead.”
Since the incident, the area has been fenced off.
A spokeswoman for Fife Council said: ”A detailed inspection of the wall will be carried out by a Fife Council engineer as soon as possible. In the meantime the steep ground has been fenced off as far as possible and signs have been erected advising the public to keep out. Access to existing properties will be maintained via Hill Road or Guthrie Gardens.”