A six-year-old girl has been left traumatised after crashing into a damaged street sign while riding her bike, leaving her with a horrific cut to her hand.

Annie Grant was left with this wound following the accident when she was riding with her mother Jennifer at the junction of Canterbury Road and Fairview Drive in South Willesborough on Thursday, September 3.

Mum-of-three Jennifer says Annie has been too scared to get back on her bicycle and has been left with a scar for life.

She said: “I was riding ahead of Annie with my baby when I heard the crash behind me.

“Then I realised there was a big hole in her hand. It was horrible. There was blood everywhere and the skin was flapping open.

“It was quite traumatic for her, she was in shock. I was thinking ‘what do I do?’ Luckily an elderly man walking nearby helped us get home and we went to the hospital.

“The sign is sort of in the middle of the path with a grass verge behind it, so there is a temptation to cycle around it both ways as it isn’t up against the fence. I think it should be put out of the way.”

Ashford Borough Council spokesman Mark James said it appears that someone had cut into the sign and left an exposed piece of metal.

He said: “The damage has caused this very unfortunate, one-off accident to Mrs Grant’s daughter.

“We are very grateful to her for alerting us to this and for her reasonable manner when doing so.

“She contacted us to ensure that this could not happen again to anyone else.

“We can confirm the sign has been removed. It will be replaced in due course with a new style of design that has a smooth strip that surrounds the sign edging.

“It is of course very disappointing that the damage to the sign has caused the family this distress, and we urge everyone to respect street signs around the borough.”

Mrs Grant said she was glad the sign had been repaired so quickly.

She added: “It’s just one of those things. It was an accident and it could have been worse, she could have lost a finger.”

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