Friends of Bristol teenager Troy Atkinson are planning to hold a sponsored walk to help his family cover the cost of his funeral.

They say more than 140 people have already agreed to join the walk at 7pm on Tuesday, exactly one week after the talented rugby player from Hartcliffe was killed in a hit-and-run incident in Bristol city centre.

The group will walk four miles from outside the Castlemead building in Lower Castle Street, the spot where 15-year-old Troy was struck by a car, to his family’s home in Gatcombe Road, Hartcliffe.

Everyone taking part has been asked to pay £5, with all the money going towards the cost of the funeral service which could cost around £3,000.

Troy’s mum Kim said she had been “overwhelmed” by the support the Hartcliffe community had shown her and her family since the accident.

As well as the walk, a fundraising evening was held at a pub on Friday night and a barbecue will be held to raise money on Sunday on the green in Gatcombe Road.

Ms Atkinson said: “The family are overwhelmed by the community’s generosity and what they are planning to do. It’s opened my eyes because I never saw what Troy meant to other people.

“It’s a comfort to know he touched so many people’s lives in different ways.

“I’m learning things about him now I didn’t know before.”

Sarah Veale, 19, who helped organise the walk, and several others will be wearing specially-printed T-shirts on the day.

She will wear a T-shirt with “RIP Troy Littleman” on the front and “Little G” on the back, in reference to Troy being known as “Little Gangster” to his friends.

Miss Veale, who is from Hartcliffe and works in a mobility centre, said: “I thought of the idea of a sponsored walk and mentioned it on a Facebook site which had been set up for Troy.

“By Thursday night, 144 people had responded and said they were interested in taking part.

“We are planning to walk on the road, following a car which will be decorated with balloons and the words ‘RIP Troy’.

“We want everyone to gather on the green in Gatcombe Road at the end.”

Troy died in Frenchay Hospital after suffering severe head injuries when he was knocked down by a car near the junction of Penn Street, Broad Weir and Lower Castle Street at 7pm on Tuesday. The car did not stop, despite the windscreen being smashed in the incident.

Police have arrested an 18-year-old man on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving in connection with the crash. He has been released on bail.

Dozens of bouquets of flowers and messages have been left near the scene of the incident outside the Castlemead building.