A MOTHER has spoken of the heart-stopping moment her three-year-old son was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment after he was badly injured in a head-on crash near Romsey.

Natasha West was driving with her son Anthony Hamlett-West, two daughters and fiancé back home to Hythe when the family was in a collision with a van on the A3090 at East Wellow on Tuesday evening (January 26).

The 27-year-old mum said her car later "exploded" after her family were freed from the wreckage.

But it soon became clear Anthony, 3, needed the most urgent medical attention.

NHS workers at University Hospital Southampton discovered Anthony needed further tests.

He was then taken to King's College Hospital, London, for expert care and an operation on his pancreas and spleen.

'I was afraid of losing him'

Natasha said: "My fiancé and I had to be cut out from the car by firefighters after the crash.

"When we had just left in the ambulance the car exploded.

"Anthony was admitted to Southampton hospital straightaway and, because he started complaining about his tummy hurting, they did some further tests before he was transferred to King's College Hospital on Wednesday afternoon (January 27) - where they decided they wanted to do an emergency operation.

"I was afraid of losing him before he had his major operation on Thursday (January 28), because I was worried he would take a turn for the worse.

"But the medics managed to do a great job and he is in ICU now."

'We are taking things day by day'

Natasha hopes her beloved boy will not have any longer term health issues because of his crash injuries.

She said: "At the moment, we are taking things day-by-day, but hopefully he will not have any life-long complications."

The mum's worry has only increased because Anthony was rushed across the country for expert care in London - with lockdown restrictions making it difficult for family members to be with him.

She added: "I just feel for him, because he cannot do anything where he is now and myself and Anthony's father [Wayne Hamlett], who lives in Wales, haven't been able to see him either because of coronavirus.

"So I have to wait until Anthony is walking and eating again before he is transferred to Southampton.

"My brother came down to the hospital to stay with Anthony, because I was battered and bruised from the crash so I was not in a position to look after him.

"I am staying with my family in Watford until he is transferred to Southampton."

According to King's College Hospital's website, patients on paediatric wards are allowed one parent or carer to visit them in line with coronavirus rules.

Police still investigating crash

When asked if Natasha's partner or her two girls suffered any injuries, she told the Advertiser they were all bruised from the crash.

Five ambulances, the Hazardous Areas Response Team and a rapid response vehicle were alerted to the crash at 7.15pm on January 26, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) confirmed.

The man and woman travelling in the van had minor injuries.

Firefighters from Romsey and Redbridge also responded to the collision and later made the scene safe.

Hampshire police said enquiries into the exact circumstances of the collision are ongoing.