A GOLF ball hit a four-year-old girl and left her head spurting' with blood - and mum is appealing for information on the young players who ran off.

Arabella Bailey was hit as her mum walked her pet dog Benji on land behind Boyle Avenue in Longford.

"All I heard was a whoosh and a crash and she started screaming her head off," said mum Sarah, from nearby Whittaker Avenue.

"There was blood spurting out of her head and she couldn't see because the blood was in her eyes. I have never seen so much blood in my life."

Arabella needed four normal stitches and four butterfly stitches. She has a twin brother, Nathaniel, and both are due to start at St Bridget's Primary School next year.

Sarah, aged 28, an internal auditor for the borough council, who lives with husband Graham, said both children were traumatised by the incident. Doctors initially thought Arabella had a fractured skull.

Sarah said two boys were playing golf at the time and described them as being aged between nine and 12, and had brown hair.

Sarah contacted the police and they told her to keep them informed if she got any information.

She added: "The boys might be young, and they might be scared, but they know what they did was wrong, and I just want their parents to know of the trauma we've been through. It's just shocking that they ran away." newsdesk@guardiangrp.co.uk