Child in critical condition after being struck by police van

An 11-year-old boy is in a critical condition after he was struck by a police van in Lancaster on Thursday night as officers attended an emergency call.

The boy, who has not been named, was taken to Royal Lancaster Infirmary in a critical condition.

Lancashire Police said they were attending an emergency call when the collision occurred with the boy, who was crossing Owen Road just before 8.30pm.

The incident has been referred to the Independent Office for Police Conduct.

A police spokesperson said an investigation was underway “to establish the full circumstances that led to the collision. We have voluntarily referred this matter to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), as is standard with an incident of this nature.”

The IOPC said in a statement: “We have declared an independent investigation into the actions of Lancashire Police prior to a road traffic collision in Owen Road, Lancaster at around 8.30pm tonight, in which a child has been injured.

“We understand that a marked police van, with its lights and sirens on, was in a collision with an 11-year-old boy.

“We were notified by the force shortly after the collision and declared an investigation at 10.37pm. IOPC investigators are heading to the scene and the police post incident procedure to begin gathering information.”

The IOPC said they are in the early stages of their investigation.