Police have appealed for witnesses to a hit-and-run accident near Bristol in which a man in his 70s died.

He was hit by a Porsche on the A420 London Road near Wick.

He is believed to have been walking along the road near the Tog Hill junction with Freezinghill Lane and Gorse Lane, when he was struck by the silver sports car.

He suffered serious head injuries and was later pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver of the car failed to stop, but the police helicopter was scrambled and a man was later arrested. The man in his 30s was detained on suspicion of failing to stop and causing death by dangerous driving.

Nancy Anstee lives in Ashlar House, just off the A420, a few hundred yards from where the accident happened at 11pm on Sunday night. She said she was surprised that somebody should have been walking along the road so late at night.

She also said that she would never walk along the road outside her house due to the lack of footpaths.

The man was knocked over on a stretch which has three lanes, with two lanes for the vehicles travelling uphill towards the Tog Hill junction and the popular picnic spot .

Mrs Anstee, 48, said: "I don't know why somebody would be walking there at that time of night, I can see no reason for it, especially if it was someone in their 70s.

"It's extremely dangerous there. Some car drivers just go absolutely too fast and motorbikes are a dreadful problem as well.

"I'd like to see the speed limit reduced. It's 60mph at the moment and I want it down to 50 at least, because that road's been an accident waiting to happen."

The A420 was immediately closed after the accident while police carried out a detailed examination of the scene.

Rainy weather on Sunday night and yesterday morning hampered the process and the road remained closed until 1pm.

The Tog Hill junction on the A420 was identified as one of South Gloucestershire's worst accident sites in 2000, and money was allocated for a road safety scheme.

The last serious accident was in April, when a motorist had to be cut free after his car was hit side-on by a lorry. And in February, a 43-year-old motorcyclist was thrown 50 metres after his bike was in a head-on collision with a Vauxhall Astra.

Police would like to hear from anyone who was on the A420 in the Wickwar and Tog Hill area on Sunday night around the time of the collision, who may have information.

Anyone able to help is asked to contact Staple Hill CID on 0845 4567000.