AN angry father has criticised Bradford Council after his three-year-old daughter tripped on a pothole and broke her nose.

Lili Brook, three, was walking to school on Charteris Road, Lower Grange, when she tripped headfirst on a pothole on the pavement and broke her nose.

Her father, Ian Brook, 34, said he and his neighbours have complained to the council over the last year about the pothole on Charteris Road to get them filled in but had not heard back from the local authority.

The Ley Top Primary School and Nursery, Avenel Road, Allerton, pupil also suffered a black eye in the incident, which took place at around 8.10am on Wednesday, May 4.

Mr Brook said his daughter, who was walking to school with his partner Emma Heald, has been shaken up by her fall and was bleeding for 20 minutes after the incident.

He said he tweeted pictures of the pothole to Bradford Council, who said it will contact Mr Brook about the incident.

Mr Brook, of Wood Lane, Swain House, Bradford, said: “It might now take an accident for the council to do something about it.

“I’m angry with the council. They need to fix it. I blame them, they have these wardens walking around here in blue jackets that check all this sort of stuff.

“My neighbours have complained about the potholes for the last year.

“They send out letters when your grass is too long but they can’t notice a pothole in the street.

“It could have been an elderly lady who tripped on the pothole, which is as bad as a child. It could have been even worse.

“Lili will have to be off school for at least a week while the swelling goes down.

“If the pothole was not there, she would not have tripped.

“It shook her up. She is in a bit of pain. It is horrible watching her, it’s heartbreaking.

“As a father, you feel like you should always protect your children, but in this situation I was helpless.

“Lili was walking about ten paces ahead of Emma and tripped on her face.

“It took about 20 minutes to stem the bleeding after she fell. I knew straight away that she had broken her nose.

“She was still hurting all of the day and she is restless and groggy.

“She was a bit sore and had a rough night after it happened.”

Lili was taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary and will now be off school for the next week while the swelling on her nose goes down and Mr Brook hopes she will not require any surgery on her nose.

A Bradford Council spokesman said it will be in contact with Mr Brook about his complaint.