A FENCE has been removed from a Burnley bowling club after a 13-year-old was impaled on a spike after climbing over it earlier this week.

The railings were removed by Burnley Council workers yesterday following the accident on Sunday when Jadon Gotthardt was injured while trying to climb over a second fence to retrieve a football.

Council officers have launched an investigation into how the accident happened and pledged to take any action necessary.

The barrier removed from the edge of the ground, in Lowerhouse Lane, ran alongside a new £4,000 fence, erected six months ago to keep youths off the green in the evenings.

One club member, who asked not to be named, said he thought youths had been using the older railings to help them climb over the new eight-foot fence.

Jadon, who ripped a muscle and needed 12 stitches in his left thigh after the incident, is now recovering at home.

Club committee chairman Derek Crossdale said: "Everyone at the club is really upset this has happened, It was just one of those freak accidents.

"We did have problems with youths coming on to the green from time to time which is why we put up the new fence.

"We had a couple of windows damaged so more than anything the fence was a way of stopping vandalism."

Club treasurer Bob Aspin added: "It makes sense to pull down the old fence. We didn't realise the potential for accidents."

A council spokesman said: "The railings were recently installed by the bowling club because of problems with vandalism to the bowling pavilion and green.

"The council is undertaking an investigation into how the accident occurred and will take any action that is needed to prevent a reccurrence."