A full investigation has been launched after a child was spotted on one of Watford’s biggest construction sites.

The footage captured the youngster accompanied by a construction worker at the Watford Riverwell site at the end of July.

In the clip, an iron stairwell attached to a crane can be seen hanging near to the child who appears to be wearing absolutely no safety gear.

Leading construction company Kier, which is delivering the major regeneration scheme in partnership with Watford Borough Council, described the incident as "regretful".

A neighbour, who lives in nearby Liverpool Road and did not want to be named, said: "It was absolutely horrifying to see and really scary.

"It was after hours and everyone else had gone home. The child was running about and the guy didn’t even appear to be wearing a helmet."

Watch footage below

The man then began filming as the construction worker battled with the stairwell for nearby portable buildings, with the unprotected child standing right next to him.

The neighbour continued: "To me it was a two-man job because it looked like he had difficulty getting it attached. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I have seen basic breaches on this site.

"Last year, a digger fell on it side. This incident has highlighted to me there’s not enough supervision."

Watford Observer: A digger on its site at Watford Riverwell. Photo dated July 21 2020A digger on its site at Watford Riverwell. Photo dated July 21 2020

The Watford Observer approached Kier and Watford Council about the incident involving the child.

A Kier spokesperson said on behalf of the joint venture: "As a responsible developer, we are taking this regretful incident extremely seriously and although no-one was hurt, we are disappointed that this happened on one of our sites.

"We, along with our contractors, are conducting a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding this event and our contractors and its supply chain have already changed their processes and enhanced training for their workforces."

The Watford Riverwell project is one of the biggest construction schemes in Watford, with land near Watford FC's football stadium and Watford General Hospital being regenerated.

Around a thousand homes are being built, with the scheme also including shops, a primary school, and a retirement village.