A five-month-old baby screamed in pain after a train conductor’s ticket machine crashed onto his head during a family outing.

Little Archie Sullivan suffered an injury to his eye and needed hospital treatment.

Parents Luke Sullivan, 20, and Kayleigh Ashdown, 19, say he could have been killed.

They were terrified Archie had become unconscious when they arrived at Sheerness station.

Luke’s father Wayne, urged the couple to seek urgent attention for the tot. They took him to Sheppey Community Hospital who transferred him by ambulance to Medway Maritime Hospital. Archie was kept under careful watch for more than five hours.

The terrifying accident happened at Queenborough. The conductor’s machine, which was not supported by a neck strap, fell onto the baby who was sitting on Kayleigh’s lap.

He immediately began screaming and the area above his right eye was grazed and began to swell.

The conductor apologised twice to the couple.

But they are haunted by what could have happened to their baby who was clearly shocked by the ordeal.

He is recovering at home in Borden Lane, Sittingbourne, but Luke and Kayleigh want a formal investigation to take place.

“We had a manager from the train company arrive at our house with flowers on Monday.

“We don’t want anyone to lose their job because of this, but there are health and safety issues here. Archie could have been killed,” Luke said.

A spokeswoman for South Eastern Trains said: “We can confirm that on Sunday July 6, we received a report that a young child was hurt by a conductor’s ticket machine as a Sheerness-bound train jolted.

“We’re so sorry this accident happened on one of our services.

“It must have been distressing for the little boy and his family. We contacted them to pass on our concern and visited them all, at home, the next day.

“We’re conducting an internal investigation into how the accident happened.

“Accidents like this are extremely rare so any information provided by the family will help us with our enquiry.”