A teenager suffered serious head injuries in a hit-and-run incident in Bristol city centre on Tuesday night.

Police are looking for a black Mercedes C180 car, registration LR52 JZV, which failed to stop after running over the 15-year-old boy.

The incident happened near the junction of Penn Street, Broad Weir and Lower Castle Street, by the Harvey Nichols store, at about 7pm.

Paramedics called to the scene said the boy had suffered "severe" head injuries and took him to Frenchay Hospital, where there is a specialist unit, after giving him advanced trauma care and sedation at the scene.

Paramedic Peter Sandler said: "We had the option of taking him to the nearby Children's Hospital but given the extent of his injuries, took him to the specialist unit at Frenchay hospital."

The car was driven off with a damaged windscreen and police last night appealed for information as to its whereabouts.

Roads around the scene were closed for more than four hours after the incident while the Avon and Somerset police Collision Investigation Unit gathered evidence.

Anyone with information who knows where the car involved is or who believes they know who was driving it should call police on 0845 456 7000 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.