By . Tammy Hughes . PUBLISHED: . 10:55 EST, 18 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:32 EST, 18 May 2012 . Harlie Thompson, five, has undergone life saving surgery after he was kicked in the head by an illegally tethered horse . A five-year-old boy has undergone life-saving surgery after a gypsy’s horse illegally tethered near a children’s playground kicked him in the head. Schoolboy Harlie Thomson suffered a fractured skull when the horse reared up and hoofed him as he retrieved a football. The built up area of Buttershaw, in Bradford, West Yorks, is blighted by travellers’ animals tied up on public land and grass verges.Harlie had a three hour operation to stop his skull piercing his brain. His mother, Laura Thomson, 23, of Buttershaw, was told there was only a 20 per cent chance her son would survive the procedure which was carried out at Leeds General Infirmary after her son was injured on Sunday. But Harlie returned home on Thursday to recover further. Now Miss Thomson the owners of the horse to be traced and prosecuted. Bradford Council, which is working with the police to track down the owner, has condemned ‘reckless owners’ who illegally tether horses on public land. Miss Thomson, a mum-of-three, said: ‘I didn’t see what happened, I turned around and he was on the ground, face down on the floor.‘I thought the horse had caught his face because his face had gone to the side and down but we’ve been told it was actually caused by a mild stroke. ‘He was having a seizure, he was fitting so much I tied him to me. ‘I was panicking and I didn’t know what to do, whether to keep him still or run him away from the horse who was just standing there eating the grass. ‘He looked lifeless after the fit had died down. ‘He was pouring with blood, it covered my coat from collar to bottom when I carried him. ‘It was terrifying, I honestly thought Harlie was dead. It’s disgusting someone could leave a horse in a children’s play area. My son could have been killed.’ The horse was startled after Harlie - a pupil at Holme Farm Primary School - and friend Lee Kirwan, seven, went to retrieve a football. Shocking: Harlie had a three hour operation to stop his skull piercing his brain - surgeons drilled a hole in his head to relieve pressure . Miss Thomson said: ‘The horse went up on its back legs and kicked the back of Harlie’s head. ‘Harlie was lying face down on the ground and started fitting so I rushed over to pick him up to move him away from the horse. I was in such a panic, I couldn’t believe what was happening.’ The boy was taken by ambulance to Bradford Royal Infirmary but was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary for surgery to lift part of his fractured skull away from his brain. Surgeons drilled a hole in his head to relieve pressure from his brain. Miss Thomson said: ‘I was told it was entirely possible that he would be paralysed and unable to feed himself. I was also told that because he had the seizure he could be prone to epileptic fits. A horse, similar to the one that kicked Harlie, tethered in a public area very close to his home in Buttershaw . Better: Harlie has made a remarkable recovery after almost being killed when he was kicked in the head . ‘He had five fractured bones. He had a severe bleed throughout the operation and that’s why it took so long. ‘I was told not to expect him to come out of it and if he did he could be paralysed - that he might not be able to walk, talk or feed himself again. ‘Thankfully he seems to be making a good recovery so far, but he may need to have a metal plate inserted in his head. ‘I’m sure whoever’s horse this is knows this has happened and I want them to know the damage it’s done.’ Harlie, who is on antibiotics, will need to go in for regular check-ups and may need a metal plate in his head later in life. Miss Thomson, who has two other children, Deacon, seven, and Lacie, three, said: ‘He is only on antibiotics. I can’t believe how well he is. But we still have to be very careful, I have to sleep with him and go to the toilet with him. ‘I don’t think he really knows what happened, they say the fit wiped his memory which is good because he won’t have any flashbacks or dreams about it. He just thinks he had a nasty accident.’ Before the accident: Harlie is lucky to be alive after the terrible accident which could have left him paralysed .
Harlie Thomson had a three-hour operation to stop skull piercing his brain .
His mother Laura was told not to expect her son to wake up from his coma .
She has called for the owners of the animal to be prosecuted .
By . Tammy Hughes . PUBLISHED: . 10:55 EST, 18 May 2012 . | . UPDATED: . 11:32 EST, 18 May 2012 . Harlie Thompson, five, has undergone life saving surgery after he was kicked in the head by an illegally tethered horse . A five-year-old boy has undergone life-saving surgery after a gypsy’s horse illegally tethered near a children’s playground kicked him in the head. Schoolboy Harlie Thomson suffered a fractured skull when the horse reared up and hoofed him as he retrieved a football. The built up area of Buttershaw, in Bradford, West Yorks, is blighted by travellers’ animals tied up on public land and grass verges.Harlie had a three hour operation to stop his skull piercing his brain. His mother, Laura Thomson, 23, of Buttershaw, was told there was only a 20 per cent chance her son would survive the procedure which was carried out at Leeds General Infirmary after her son was injured on Sunday. But Harlie returned home on Thursday to recover further. Now Miss Thomson the owners of the horse to be traced and prosecuted. Bradford Council, which is working with the police to track down the owner, has condemned ‘reckless owners’ who illegally tether horses on public land. Miss Thomson, a mum-of-three, said: ‘I didn’t see what happened, I turned around and he was on the ground, face down on the floor.‘I thought the horse had caught his face because his face had gone to the side and down but we’ve been told it was actually caused by a mild stroke. ‘He was having a seizure, he was fitting so much I tied him to me. ‘I was panicking and I didn’t know what to do, whether to keep him still or run him away from the horse who was just standing there eating the grass. ‘He looked lifeless after the fit had died down. ‘He was pouring with blood, it covered my coat from collar to bottom when I carried him. ‘It was terrifying, I honestly thought Harlie was dead. It’s disgusting someone could leave a horse in a children’s play area. My son could have been killed.’ The horse was startled after Harlie - a pupil at Holme Farm Primary School - and friend Lee Kirwan, seven, went to retrieve a football. Shocking: Harlie had a three hour operation to stop his skull piercing his brain - surgeons drilled a hole in his head to relieve pressure . Miss Thomson said: ‘The horse went up on its back legs and kicked the back of Harlie’s head. ‘Harlie was lying face down on the ground and started fitting so I rushed over to pick him up to move him away from the horse. I was in such a panic, I couldn’t believe what was happening.’ The boy was taken by ambulance to Bradford Royal Infirmary but was transferred to Leeds General Infirmary for surgery to lift part of his fractured skull away from his brain. Surgeons drilled a hole in his head to relieve pressure from his brain. Miss Thomson said: ‘I was told it was entirely possible that he would be paralysed and unable to feed himself. I was also told that because he had the seizure he could be prone to epileptic fits. A horse, similar to the one that kicked Harlie, tethered in a public area very close to his home in Buttershaw . Better: Harlie has made a remarkable recovery after almost being killed when he was kicked in the head . ‘He had five fractured bones. He had a severe bleed throughout the operation and that’s why it took so long. ‘I was told not to expect him to come out of it and if he did he could be paralysed - that he might not be able to walk, talk or feed himself again. ‘Thankfully he seems to be making a good recovery so far, but he may need to have a metal plate inserted in his head. ‘I’m sure whoever’s horse this is knows this has happened and I want them to know the damage it’s done.’ Harlie, who is on antibiotics, will need to go in for regular check-ups and may need a metal plate in his head later in life. Miss Thomson, who has two other children, Deacon, seven, and Lacie, three, said: ‘He is only on antibiotics. I can’t believe how well he is. But we still have to be very careful, I have to sleep with him and go to the toilet with him. ‘I don’t think he really knows what happened, they say the fit wiped his memory which is good because he won’t have any flashbacks or dreams about it. He just thinks he had a nasty accident.’ Before the accident: Harlie is lucky to be alive after the terrible accident which could have left him paralysed .
Harlie Thomson suffered a fractured skull when grass verges.Harlie had a three hour operation to stop his skull piercing his brain. His mother, of the horse to be traced and prosecuted. a three hour operation to stop his skull piercing was told not to expect him to come out of it and