A REWARD to find the hit-and-run driver who knocked teenager Jade Clark off her scooter has been raised to £5,000.

Police are continuing their manhunt for the driver of a Volvo XC90, who fled the scene of the horrific collision on the A31 before police arrived on Sunday, February 24.

Now, ten days after the incident, the reward has been increased in an attempt to track down the driver, whose vehicle - one of several involved in the crash – is believed to have been the first to hit Jade’s red scooter.

Churchill Retirement Living, based in Ringwood, is offering £4,000 for information leading to the arrest and charge of an offender, in addition to a £1,000 reward put up by Crimestoppers on Friday.

A spokesman for Churchill Retirement Living said: “Like the rest of the local community we are really saddened by this event.

“This has touched many of our employees who have daughters of a similar age and if in some small way we can support the police in their determined efforts to find the driver of the Volvo we are only too pleased to help.

“As a local employer with colleagues who attended Ringwood School it is extremely sad to learn of someone so young losing their life in this way. We offer our condolences to Jade’s family.”

Traffic Inspector Matt Butler, added: “There has been some response to the appeals so far, but I continue to urge anyone with information about the Volvo to come forward.”

Yesterday Jade’s devastated family – mother Sharon Clark, stepfather Daniel Clark, father Billy Herald and grandmother Linda Pidgley – made an emotional appeal for the driver to come forward.

In a press conference at Ringwood Fire Station, where 16-year-old Jade was a part of the Ringwood Young Firefighters’ Association, mum Sharon said: “To lose Jade the way we did is what’s hardest to bear.

“For a driver to cause Jade’s accident and then driving away leaving her alone in the road is almost too difficult to believe.

“To that driver I would say, please, please come forward and contact the police.

“You must be finding this hard to live with, especially if you have children on your own.

“To anyone else who knows this driver, or knows where the car might be, please contact the police as soon as possible.”

Police say they cannot be sure about the colour of the Volvo XC90 but appeal to anyone who sees one with damage to the front to contact Dorset Police on 01202 222222 quoting incident number 24:393.