An 18-month-old boy was left "screaming" in pain for hours after suffering a second-degree burn on an overheated skate park ramp.

Little Freddie had only touched it for "a matter of seconds" and his parents now want to warn others of just how hot the metal can become.

The toddler had to be taken to A&E where he was bandaged up following the ordeal at the Stour Centre skate park in Ashford.

His dad James Yeomans explained that their older son Charlie had been riding around on his bike and their youngest Freddie was chasing after him.

Their mum was following a couple of metres behind Freddie when he fell over and briefly touched the ramp.

"She picked him up as he was screaming and couldn't work out what had happened," said Mr Yeomans.

"She then touched the ramp and realised he had burnt himself.

"We'd hate to see the skate park closed or the facility lost - but people need to be aware that the metal ramps are a real risk.

"We just want to make sure that everyone can still enjoy the facilities, but be safe and not get hurt."

The parents from Shadoxhurst said the Stour Centre staff responded really well when the incident happened on Saturday, July 23, and helped to cool Freddie's burn as quickly as possible.

"They did everything they could think of," Mr Yeomans said.

But the family had a lengthy wait to be seen at the William Harvey Hospital's A&E, which Mr Yeomans said didn't help the situation.

"My wife was trying to hold a screaming 18-month-old for eight hours," he said.

"Particularly when you've got burns because it's how quickly you cool it down.

"He was seen by a triage nurse very quickly but then waited for a doctor for eight hours."

Freddie has now been referred to the burns unit.

"He's still bandaged up and isn't 100% himself, but kids bounce back quite quickly," Mr Yeomans said.

"To be referred to a burns unit, it's fairly significant.

"It's not just a light burn. It must be more severe than that."

Mr Yeomans says "there needs to be something done" at the skate park to make people aware the surfaces are hot.

"Kids shouldn't be on there in the heat of the day," he added.

"God forbid anyone else falls on it or hurts themselves."

A spokesperson from Ashford Borough Council, which owns the skate park, said: "We have been made aware of this incident by the family, and we are currently investigating what happened.

"We hope the little boy makes a swift recovery."