THE BIG smile says it all. Little Vikki McNeil from Abbey Meads is back at home after being knocked down by a car outside her house.

The seven year old, from Stewart Close, reckons she has learned her lesson about crossing the road.

Vikki ran into the path of a Ford Fiesta after she returned home from a shopping trip and was excited because she saw her dad's car at home.

Though she suffered a fractured skull, fractured left foot and bruising behind her ear she is now back at home with her family after a five day stay in Swindon's Great Western Hospital.

Vikki, a pupil of Abbey Meads School, who had been shopping for new school shoes with her mum, said: "I thought my daddy was at home.

"I opened the car door and my sister Rebecca went to the other side of the road as well. I can't remember what happened.

"My mum has told me she saw it and she phoned the ambulance, and the police came too. Nobody got arrested. That was good, and it wasn't anyone's fault." Vikki lapsed into unconsciousness at GWH, where she had a scan before being taken to the hospital's intensive care unit.

Heavily sedated, she came around in the early hours of the day after the accident on Tuesday, May 27, with her family at her side throughout.

She described her recuperation in hospital as "fun".

Vikki said: "The doctors and the nurses were nice.

"They put tubes on me in case I was sick and I had a wheelchair.

"It was fun because I got to go outside to play in the play area, which was like a park. There weren't any swings though.

"There were other children there and I made friends with a boy called Cameron. I could also watch TV in bed."

Vikki, who has a plaster on her left leg and has crutches to get around on, is convalescing before returning to the hospital's fracture clinic on June 17.

She has been swamped with get well soon cards and presents from her friends and family.

"I'll be more careful when I cross the road now," she said. "Before I cross the road I will look both ways for a long time to see if any cars are coming. I don't want to have anymore accidents."

Vikki's mum Sheila, 36, a pre-school assistant with Abbey Meads-based Little Sunshines playgroup, said: "We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the community of Abbey Meads, family and friends who have showed tremendous support and generosity in offering their gifts, cards and most importantly their time.

"Also we would like to thank the staff at Great Western Hospital from Accident and Emergency, the Intensive Care Unit and the children's ward, for assisting Vikki to make a full recovery."