A terrified toddler climbed out of his carriage on a children's pier ride and was dragged along the tracks before tumbling on to rails below where he was hit by another car.

Two-year-old Liam Cottingham panicked on Brighton's Palace Pier's Fantasia ride and stood up to look for his dad.

There was no seat belt so the tearful tot got out of the carriage and clambered on to the rails.

But his waistcoat became snagged and he was dragged for several feet before falling on to a track beneath.

He was buffeted by an oncoming car, leaving him with bruising on his back and head.

Liam's father, Ben Lay, 28, screamed for the ride to be switched off.

Mr Lay, a refuse collector from Littlehampton, said it took three nearby staff about 30 seconds to stop the cars as Liam screamed from the track.

Mr Lay, who took his son to the pier as a bank holiday weekend treat, said: "It was a terrifying thing to watch. I saw Liam standing up and was shouting at him to sit down but it did no good.

"When he fell I could not see him so I feared the worst.

"When the ride finally stopped, another man picked Liam up and carried him over to me.

"He was screaming and very shaken.

"He had bruises and grazes on his back and a bump on his head. We were worried he had concussion."

Staff at the pier took Liam to a first aid room where Mr Lay made a complaint. He later took his son to hospital for a check-up. He said managers had apologised and offered the family a free meal.

He said: "A free meal is not adequate compensation for what happened to Liam.

"It should not have taken so long to shut the ride down.

"Although Liam did not break any bones, he was very upset and shaken by what happened."

Mr Lay was with his girlfriend Sarah Wheels, 22, from Lancing, whose daughter Shannon, two, was sitting next to Liam when he got out of the car.

Miss Wheels said: "My daughter was hysterical and I was relieved she did not try to follow Liam."

The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) had yesterday not been informed about the accident.

A spokeswoman for the pier said: "An accident report was filed on this incident and we are looking into it."

The HSE is still investigating an incident at the pier in December last year when passengers on the Turbo rollercoaster were left dangling over a gap after the rails were removed for repairs.

It is no longer involved in investigations into the fire at the pier in February which gutted the ghost train.