A four-year-old boy’s toes were ripped off after his foot was trapped in an escalator during a family day out in London.

The child, from Sittingbourne, was on an escalator at London Bridge Railway Station when his Wellington boot became stuck.

While his mum desperately tried to find an emergency brake his dad attempted to pull his foot free.

In doing so, the boy's little toe and part of his fourth toe were severed.

A member of station staff recovered the severed toes but they could not be reattached.

The family, who had been on a day out on New Year’s Day, are taking legal action against Network Rail.

The boy's father, who has not been named, said: “A lovely family day out ended in absolute disaster for us.

"This family’s harrowing ordeal really shines a spotlight on the dangers of escalators and particularly the dangers of travelling with children...”

“I am confident our little boy wasn’t doing anything he shouldn’t have been on the escalator, we were right next to him, and it was such a frightening experience to see him suddenly trapped like that.”

“Our little boy has been really suffering and is now completely terrified of going near any escalators or lifts.

“We felt it was important to speak out about what happened to us, so parents know to be extremely vigilant when travelling around London.”

Ben Pepper, a senior associate with Bolt Burdon Kemp, said: "This family’s harrowing ordeal really shines a spotlight on the dangers of escalators and particularly the dangers of travelling with children.

"It’s really disappointing to see Network Rail deny liability for this issue and we hope, through our ongoing legal investigation we can identify those features of the escalator that were unsafe, and ensure this tragedy doesn’t happen to anyone else."

A Network Rail spokesman said: “The safety and wellbeing of our passengers is always our number one priority and our thoughts are with the young boy and his family at this very difficult time.

“Everyone in Network Rail and particularly the team at London Bridge station are saddened by this incident, however, while the case is ongoing, it would be inappropriate for us to comment any further at this stage.”