A GRANDFATHER is recovering after suffering a horrendous head injury when a ride-on toy was pushed off the top of an underpass onto him.

The Northern Echo:

Alan Taylor covered in blood at James Cook Hospital. Picture: David Taylor

Alan Taylor, 69, was told by witnesses that two children, possibly as young as eight, were responsible for the shocking incident in Hemlington, Middlesbrough on Sunday afternoon.

The Northern Echo:

Mr Taylor was walking his dog close to Cass House Road, above, when the digger or go-kart hit him in the head.

He was so badly injured his son, David, thought he had been attacked.

"I remember everything about what happened. I was walking underneath the subway and the next thing I knew I felt a big bang on my head and there was blood pouring," he told The Northern Echo.

"Two witnesses who saw it all said whoever did it had it planned because they were waiting on one side, have seen me go underneath, ran to the other side and, as I was coming out, threw it over the top.

"It could easily have killed me. I went to hospital and had my head stitched. I have lost about two pints of blood."

Mr Taylor said the impact 'felt like a bomb going off'.

"It happened that quick," he said. "I glanced up and saw a young face and the next minute I felt the blood pouring down my head."

Mr Taylor said he could not understand why someone would do this, and especially anyone so young.

"The two witnesses said they were about eight years old," he said. "I have informed the police but they haven't been back in touch as yet."

Mr Taylor said there had been incidents in the past were bricks were thrown at taxis and police cars in the same area.

"To be honest if you can't punish the children, you should punish the parents," he said. "To know your children between six and eight are stood on a main road somewhere ... to be honest they probably don't even know where they are."

Mr Taylor's son David said he could not believe the injury his father had suffered.

"There was a flap of skin which the doctor pulled back and you could literally see his skull," he said.

"He was dazed when it happened and luckily there was a couple out walking and they saw what happened and took him back to my mam's house. The paramedics took him straight to the hospital.

"He's been stitched up and has to go back on Monday to see if he is okay. But the blood was unbelievable. It was all over his face."

Cleveland Police confirmed they were investigating.

"Police received a report that a man had been hit on the head by a toy, leaving him requiring treatment at hospital," the spokeswoman said. 

"The incident happened at around 2.15pm on Cass House Road, Hemlington, on Sunday, September 23. Enquiries will be carried out."