A FURIOUS dad said he is 'disgusted' Derriford Hospital has cancelled two emergency operations on his six-year-old son's broken arm.

Ian Martin, aged 49, said his family are distressed and his son Aaron in pain due to lack of treatment.

After the boy came off his bike on Monday evening, doctors X-rayed his left arm and said the complex elbow break needed surgery.

Ian said that he and his wife Annette were told the injury was so serious Aaron could be left with loss of movement, exaggerated movement or develop arthritis.

However two procedures have been cancelled at the last minute: one early on Tuesday and the other yesterday morning.

Surgery has been rescheduled for tomorrow afternoon, but Ian fears it will be postponed again.

The Babcock engineer from Brixton, who has complained to Derriford, said: "My son is in pain, my wife and I are distressed, and he still hasn't had an operation on an injury they've said could affect him for life.

"He's going through hell. He's six years old and the thought of an operation is giving him nightmares. He's panicking waiting for it to happen. I think the way he's been treated is disgusting." Aaron has returned home in temporary plaster.

It comes as Derriford Hospital is working to cut high rates of cancelled operations.

A hospital spokesman said: "We would like to apologise to the parents of Aaron for any distress or anxiety this has caused.

"It is unfortunate his operation has had to be cancelled and we have offered them another date for it to take place."

He said there are occasions when more urgent cases must take priority, resulting in a cancelled operation, adding: "These decisions are only made after very careful consideration of the likely outcomes for our patients, which means we can be sure all of our patients are treated as safely as possible."