An 11-year-old boy remains in a critical condition after he was hit by a police vehicle in Lancaster.

A senior officer has said her “thoughts and prayers” are with his family after he was struck by the vehicle with its lights on responding to an emergency.

Lancashire Police’s chief superintendent Karen Edwards spoke to the press this afternoon.

The boy was left in a critical condition in hospital and remains seriously injured, she confirmed.

He was initially taken to Royal Lancaster Infirmary but was later transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool for further treatment.

The senior police officer did not answer questions after reading a statement.

The child had been crossing Owen Road just before 8.30pm on Thursday night when he was hit.

An investigation into how the police handled the crash is under way by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

An IOPC spokesperson said its investigation began at 10.37pm on Thursday.

In an updated statement today, the watchdog said: “Our investigation will look at the actions of Lancashire Constabulary officers, prior to the collision.”

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IOPC regional director, Catherine Bates, added: “This is an incredibly tragic incident and my thoughts are with the boy, his family and all those affected by the incident.

“There is a mandatory requirement for forces to refer incidents like this to us, which result in death or serious injury, and our investigation will thoroughly examine the circumstances prior to the collision, including whether appropriate policies and procedures were followed.”

Police had appealed for any information after the incident, including CCTV or dashcam footage from nearby, adding: “Our thoughts are with the child’s loved ones at this time.”

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