Dad's horror as three-year-old girl has part of finger chopped off in Matalan
A girl has been left traumatised and suffering nightmares after losing the end of her finger during a trip to a Matalan store.
Aila Dunbar was sitting in her pram at the tills when she became curious about a pull-down tray at the store in Huddersfield, and the horror unfolded.
The three-year-old got the end of her right index finger chopped off below the fingernail as the tray lowered, Yorkshire Live reports.
The tip has yet to be found.
Her parents Kevin Dunbar and Faye Wood were about to leave the store when the horrific accident happened on Saturday afternoon.
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Kevin said Aila's finger had got stuck in a small hole in the tray which had acted "like a guillotine".
The furious dad said the tip could not be found as staff continued serving customers instead of closing off the scene.
Kevin Dunbar and Faye Wood with daughter Aila (MEN MEDIA)He said: "The staff at Matalan didn't close off the tills or area around where it happened and kept serving people while there was blood on the floor, and I was sitting on the floor with my daughter where it happened. And because of that the bit of finger could have been stuck under someone's shoe or kicked somewhere as it still hasn't been found."
Aila was taken to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary by her parent and was transferred to Bradford Royal Infirmary where she had an operation to file down the end of her finger.
She may need further surgery in the future.
Kevin told YorkshireLive: "We are shocked. It was horrendous. Aila is having nightmares and doesn't want to go to the 'red shop' anymore. She would not go to sleep last night and was up in the night.
"She is saying her finger is bleeding and it is chopped. She has had the week off nursery. She has not wanted to go."
Kevin says the tray remains in place at the store despite being 'very dangerous'.
Aila's grandma Ali Cockhill has set up a GoFundMe page to pay for a trip to her granddaughter's dream place, Peppa Pig World.
Ali said: "It has been an extremely traumatic time for her and she's doing her best to be happy. She's had nightmares the last couple of nights since it happened and is in lots of pain and worry. She's become terrified of doctors and nurses whereas before she adored them.
"It would be so nice if Ailacould have something positive happen to her in this very negative time in her life and just to help her smile and be cheerful."
A spokesperson for Matalan told Yorkshire Live: "The wellbeing and safety of all those in our stores is our utmost priority and we were concerned to hear of an incident reported in our Huddersfield store.
"We immediately commenced a rigorous investigation and concluded that the staff in-store acted swiftly and professionally to assist with this unfortunate accident. We understand that this was upsetting for all involved and our thoughts and well wishes are with Aila and her family."
It is believed that two members of staff assisted with looking for the fingertip. Matalan staff are understood to have taped up the table for further investigation, and the pull-down tray is understood to be an 'accessible writing desk'.
The GoFundMe page can be found at www.gofundme.com/f/3-year-olds-finger-partially-amputate.
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The Mirror has contacted Matalan for comment.
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