I watched as car ran into my little girl

And Sigita Pauche, of Maple Street, Blackburn, warned other parents to keep their eyes on their children after revealing her three-year-old daughter had run out through the open front door into the road.

Miss Pauche said she was furious with herself for not watching her daughter all the time, and said it only took a split second for a child to run into the road The little girl, Vanessa, suffered bruising to her legs and head after colliding with a black Mercedes outside her home at 6.30pm on Sunday.

Since then her mum said she has been very subdued, tired and "crying all the time."

Mohammed Bhuta, 18, of Bolton, has been arrested and charged with failing to stop at the scene of an accident and driving without a licence or insurance. He has also been accused of taking the vehicle without the owner's consent.

He will appear before Blackburn magistrates tomorrow.

But Miss Pauche said she felt partly to blame and urged all parents to be more vigilant with their children.

She said: "It is a terrible thing for a parent to have to see.

"One minute Vanessa was inside with us and the next minute she was in the street.

"An ice cream van had just come down the road. She had heard it and ran out through the open front door.

"I just heard her scream and saw her lying in the road crying.

"My boyfriend ran out and gathered her in his arms and brought her in.

"I am furious with myself for not watching her all the time. It only takes a split second for your child to run out in the road and from now on I will make sure she is under constant supervision and cannot get outside without an adult.

"We are just so lucky that she is all right."

An ambulance was called to the scene but paramedics told the family that apart from bruising and shock Vanessa was otherwise uninjured.

Last week road policing officers warned parents to supervise children who are playing outside in the summer holidays.