BRAVE toddler Joshua Westwell is recovering at home after suffering an infection in a line which had been used to given him chemotherapy.

Although the bulk of the Hickman line had been removed from the two-year-old from Lee Road, Bacup, after he was successfully treated for liver cancer last year, the cuff was left inside in case it needed to be reattached.

But his mum Karen Skinner spotted a lump where the cuff was and Joshua was taken back to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury where staff found he had an infection and surgery was scheduled.

Karen said: "He had to have nothing to eat or drink by 8am because they were due to operate at 2pm. Then it was put back to 3.30pm, then 5pm and when he eventually went down to have it removed it was 8.40pm."

Fortunately the operation only took 20 minutes and the family were able to return home that night.

Karen said: "They have left the wound open so that the infection can come out, and he has nurses visiting every two days to replace the dressings.

"The most important thing is he will be well enough to be able to go on holiday to Disneyland Paris next month."

It will be the first time Karen, fiance Paul Westwell and the couple's two children Joshua and his sister Chloe have had a family holiday.

Last year's had to be cancelled after Joshua was diagnosed with liver cancer and he had to undergo a course of chemotherapy before being operated on to have the tumour removed on his second birthday in September.