Two boys were left with burns on their backs after they were hurt going down water slides.

Friends Rhys Stanton,12, and Andrew Burstow, ten, were enjoying the start of their summer holidays with a trip to the King Alfred Leisure Centre, in Hove, but left with wounds to their backs.

Rhys’s mum, Kerry Stanton, of Prince Charles Close, Southwick, said: “They are both in agony.

“They went to the King Alfred with four friends and got burns on their backs from the slide.

“You can still see the burns now.

“When I contacted the King Alfred they said there was nothing they could do.

“But I want to warn other children and parents so it doesn’t happen again.”

Rhys and Andrew were both left with patches of raw skin around their spines, caused by friction from using the water slide.

Mrs Stanton said Rhys and Andrew, of King George Road, Shoreham, initially did not realise what they had done.

She said: “When we picked them up they just said they had hurt their backs.

“It was only when we had a proper look that we realised they were burnt.

“They have both been to the doctors who said they had burns.

“There is only one slide open at the King Alfred now, so you would hope it was safe.

“You would think the water should protect their skin.”

Worried Mrs Stanton said she was also unhappy with the way leisure centre management dealt with the complaint.

A spokesman for Brighton and Hove City Council, which runs the leisure centre, said: “We inspected the slide and could only find a couple of tiny imperfections. It’s very hard to see how these might have caused any injuries.

“However we have filled these imperfections as a precaution. We have had hundreds of children using the slide over the past few weeks and no others have come forward with any complaints of scratches.

“The slide is checked daily by the maintenance team for any signs of damage.”