A Dublin mother is calling for scrambler bikes to be "completely scrapped" in public parks after her three-year-old was hospitalised after being knocked down.
Little Holly Lewis, who turns four this week, was injured when she was knocked down by a scrambler bike near her home in Tallaght on Friday afternoon.
Holly sustained a broken shoulder and extensive bruising in the incident at Sean Walsh Park park in Tallaght.
Read more: Ed Sheeran enjoys pint of Guinness near Grafton Street as he meets excited fan
Speaking to Dublin Live, Holly's shocked mam Sarah said that her daughter is "very lucky to be alive."
Sarah Lewis said: "It was an awful fright, it was horrendous. It happened on Good Friday in Sean Walsh Park when me, my mam, Holly and my new baby son were in the park. It happened very fast, the scrambler bike hit Holly and then it sped off.
"They looked young, like teenagers. They didn't even stop to check if she was okay. Even if there was a park that they could just bring the scrambler bikes to, they definitely shouldn't be allowed in a public park."
Holly was then rushed to Tallaght Hospital where she was treated for a broken shoulder. She was also bruised on her stomach, legs and back with a bump on the head as well.
"We feel very lucky and blessed that she's alive. She's bouncing back very fast, and we have an appointment with a bone doctor this week and the doctors put her in a sling with her shoulder."
While Holly is now on the mend, Sarah said that she is still in shock over what happened in the park.
She has reported the incident to gardaí and is now calling for harsher laws on scramblers, especially in public places such as parks.
She said: "Every time I close my eyes, I see the bike hitting Holly. She could have been killed, she's very lucky to be alive. A local TD John Lahart has been in contact with me about it, he's been trying to push legislation on scrambler bikes for three years.
"I think scrambler bikes should be completely scrapped, they're teenagers on the bikes and their parents are buying them for them."
Meanwhile, TD John Lahart is also pushing for a new law to crack down on scrambler bikes, with the hope that gardai will have more power to confiscate scrambler bikes by the summer.
He told Dublin Live: "When I was in opposition I wanted to bring in a law to outlaw the dangerous use of scramblers, the gardai had told me and my colleagues they needed additional powers to be able to confiscate scramblers and to trace their home of origin and to destroy them.
"Eamon Ryan has it included in the Miscellaneous Provisions bill that is going before the Oireachtas' Transport Committee and is going though the Dail at the moment.
"I wish it had been in place on Friday and that there had been CCTV to trace back the ownership of the bikes. The new law is due to be in by the summer."
Deputy Lahart also said that gardai are coming to the joint policing committee this Friday to talk about scrambler bikes, with a new diversionary scheme in Moyross Limerick which aims to discourage kids from using scrambler bikes.
In a statement, gardaí said they attended a “collision involving a scrambler and a pedestrian” that took place at Sean Walsh Park, Tallaght, just after 2.30pm on Friday.
A spokesman said: "The pedestrian (a juvenile) was taken to Tallaght University Hospital to be treated for their injuries. Investigations are ongoing.”
Read more: Seven scramblers and a quad bike seized in Garda raids in Dublin suburbs
Read more: Crack down on 'deadly' illegal scrambler bikes after serious incidents across Dublin
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox
