A four-year-old boy had to have 25 stitches in his foot after cutting an artery stepping on broken glass buried in the sand.

Daente Burgess was running down Clearwater Beach when he stepped on a hole where partygoers had a fire before throwing bottles into it and covering it with a thin layer of sand.

He was with his father when the accident happened on Saturday and he took his son to the Emergency Care Centre in St. Davids for stitches.

Last night his mother Raine Burgess said: "There was no warning at all. Some people had thrown the bottles at a bonfire the night before, and then just buried the glass in the sand. I was panicked, but I was more concerned for his well being."

Now Ms Burgess is calling on partygoers to be more responsible. "It's OK to enjoy yourself, but remember for every one of your ill actions, there is a reaction, and frequently the victim is innocent.

"We're very unhappy that some people having fun ruined the fun of a four-year-old boy."

Ms Burgess added: "There was a trash can eight steps away. That just makes the entire thing even more ridiculous."

A spokesman for the Department of Parks said the public should be careful with dangerous garbage to avoid injuring other beachgoers.

He said: "It is important not to leave broken glass in the sand as this can cause serious injuries, as happened to a young child during this past weekend.

"An additional problem is people burying hot coals or wood from BBQ's or bonfires at the beach, which has caused first degree burns."

The Department also said that more trash cans have been placed throughout the Islands parks. Ms Burgess returned to the beach to try and remove the glass, but thinks there is more.

While Daente is expected to make a full recovery, the incident frightened the boy and his family. "He's afraid of going back to Clearwater, and he's afraid of going back to the Centre," added Ms Burgess. "Getting stitches is traumatic for a young boy."

* Has this sort of thing happened to you? What do you think about it? E-mail news@royalgazette.bm