'She's lucky to be alive': Mum speaks out after metal fence collapses on daughter, 2, in Fife play park

A Fife mother has spoken of how her young daughter is lucky to be alive after a metal fence collapsed on the toddler in a play park, cutting her to the bone and leaving her with serious facial scarring.

Esme Philip, two, was playing with her older brothers while her grandparents watched with their 12-year-old son, in Letham Glen, Leven, Fife.

The tot grabbed onto a fence which surrounded a swing designed for wheelchair users - but the fence was not secure and fell on top of her, hitting her in the face on July 25.

She was left with a 20cm cut with blood gushing from it while passersby ran to help.

Medics said she was lucky to be alive.

Mum-of-three Stacey said: "My mum said that Esme had run over to the swing and put her feet on the bottom bar when the whole thing fell.

"The bolts holding it together were missing and it came down on her head.

"There was blood everywhere and people in the park came and helped haul the fence off Esme.

"She was screaming.

"The surgeons have done a great job but they say she's lucky to be alive as it could have been a lot worse.

"It was the facial surgeons that carried out her surgery.

"She was in surgery for about an hour, they had to do layers of stitches as the cut was right to her skull.

"She could have lost her eye as it's just above but she's been left with a scar."

The cut was about 20cm in length going from just above her eye to near her hairline.

Esme was rushed to Victoria Hospital, Kirkcaldy, Fife, where she underwent surgery and was kept in overnight amid fears she might be concussed.

Photographer Stacey, from Rosyth, Fife, says her two sons Warren, seven, and Isaac, five, were also traumatised by the accident.

She said: "My youngest was taken away from the scene but my seven-year-old was absolutely distraught seeing what had happened.

"Under the circumstances, Esme has been amazing.

"She never got upset in hospital and she helped us through it.

"The hospital staff were amazing, singing Paw Patrol to her when she was getting anaesthetic - I just couldn't praise them enough."

She also praised the response from Fife Council and added: "They are doing a thorough investigation and they seem to have Esme's best interests at heart."

Senior manager John Rodigan confirmed that an investigation is underway from Fife Council.

He added: "Our thoughts and best wishes are with this little girl and her family.

"We are working with partners to look into what's happened and will take any appropriate action."

A Police Scotland spokeswoman added: "Following a report of a two-year-old girl being injured within a park in Leven on Sunday July 25, officers are making enquiries into the circumstances."