THE dad of a five-year-old boy who suffered severe leg injuries in a hit-and-run accident has spoken of his anger that the driver has not come forward.

Dean Marsden, 36, his son Jamie, and their puppy, were halfway across a pedestrian crossing in Union Road, Oswaldtwistle, when the traffic lights changed to amber and the driver of a dark-coloured BMW sped forwards, hitting Jamie.

The youngster, of Haworth Street, was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital where he had emergency surgery, and will undergo another operation to try to close a large gash on his leg.

Jamie will need plastic surgery and skin grafts if the wound cannot be closed.

Mr Marsden, a production supervisor, said he could not understand how the driver could have driven off.

He said: “I saw a little girl in the back of the car. You can understand somebody being in shock, but he hasn’t even been to the police to tell them what happened.

“I was face on with him when he hit Jamie. Jamie was underneath the car bumper. For a split second I thought he was going to drive over him so I got the bag of sugar we’d got from the shop and chucked it at his car window.

“Then I grabbed my lad and took him into a barbers and got them to call an ambulance.

“Jamie was in shock. He just said, ‘Why’s that car hit me, daddy?’ It was a total shock, the scare of my life. We’re just keeping our fingers crossed they will be able to close his leg.”

Police are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which happened on Thursday around 6.30pm.

The driver is believed to be Asian and the BMW is thought to have an 02 registration plate.

PC Kate Brady, from the Road Policing Unit, said: “I would appeal directly to the driver to contact the police so we can establish the full circumstances of exactly what happened.” Anyone with information should call police on 101, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.