WARNING: Graphic images

A Queensland mum says her 18-month-old daughter suffered second-degree burns to the bottom of her feet while playing at a park in Ipswich, west of Brisbane.

Simone Pickering posted photos of the horrific injuries on social media and said her daughter was injured “seconds” after stepping barefoot onto a hot metal plate covering a service pit at River Heart Parklands last week.

“Our daughter just happened to walk a short distance from where myself and family were sitting to find herself paralysed, standing on one of these scorching-hot metal plates unable to move due to the intensity of the heat below,” she said.

“In seconds the damage had been done. We instinctively tried to get her feet into cool water, only to have her hysterically screaming and needing extra care.”

Doctors treating burns to the little girl’s feet in hospital. Photo: Facebook/ Simone J. Pickering

Ms Pickering said while her daughter is recovering well she had lost some feeling on the bottom of her feet.

“The drive to the hospital was the most horrific, heartbreaking 10 minutes of my life to date,” she said.

“[I am] angry that even after a full recovery, our daughter will never truly know what is normal feeling in her feet as she won’t have any prior memories to draw upon being that she’s only 18 months old.”

In a statement, an Ipswich City Council spokesperson said the metal plate had been coated with a heavy paving paint to keep it cooler in hot weather.

The metal plate that burnt the toddler’s feet has since been painted by Ipswich City Council. Photo: ABC

The council said inspections had also been carried out in other water parks across Ipswich for potentially similar situations.

The incident is the first reported incident of its type at the River Heart Parklands.

The council urged parents of young children to be mindful of the risk of all exposed surfaces being hot during summer.

-ABC