THE father of a boy who
impaled himself on a
metal spike has spoken
of the family’s anguish.

Daniel Howie, 13, is lucky to be alive after he was trapped for 30 minutes on a cast-iron railing outside Winchester’s Peter Symonds College.

He had slipped while climbing over the five-and-a-half feet high fence along the College’s playing fields.

Neighbours comforted the stricken youngster while waiting for emergency services.

He was released by firefighters who cut away three railings before he was taken to Southampton General Hospital – with the spike still in him.

Surgeons then operated to remove the poles which were embedded in the boy up to his shoulder blade Speaking from the family home on Hatherley Road, his father Stuart, a banker, said: “It was frightening, but I wasn’t here when it happened. My wife was here and I just arrived as they were going to hospital.

“It wasn’t very nice – you wouldn’t wish it for anyone.”

Daniel was recovering at home and will make a full recovery.

“He hasn’t done any lasting damage so he’s quite lucky really,” Mr Howie said.

The potential dangers of the fence have been raised with the college on a number of occasions, it has since been claimed.

However, a college spokesman insisted the youngster could have used an open gate 100 yards away.

The spokesman added there would be a review of the safety of the fence, but it had been in place at least since the Second World War.