AN 11-year-old boy’s thumb was amputated after it was caught in a door at a Bournemouth special school.

His was swinging on the metalwork above the door when his thumb was caught.

He is now in Salisbury Hospital waiting to see if a second operation to reattach it is successful.

The boy was in a “calming down” room at Bicknell School in Littledown, which has around 60 pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.

His mother, 40, from Southbourne, told the Daily Echo: “The hand surgeon said it was the worst injury she had seen in 25 years.”

She said the door closed on his thumb and he had to fall or jump down, almost severing the digit. It was subsequently amputated.

The boy has had several blood transfusions and has been in hospital for a week.

“No-one from the school has been to see him,” she added. “He went to hospital on his own.”

Julie Woodhouse, acting health and safety manager at Bournemouth council, said: “We are fully aware of the incident which took place at Bicknell School last Friday “Our officers have visited the school and have carried out a full investigation and given them the all clear.”

The school issued a statement through the council which said: “The head of school has been in regular contact with the family since the incident and we wish him a speedy recovery.

“The health, safety and wellbeing of our pupils is of paramount importance and the teaching staff acted correctly and professionally in this incident.”