A 12-year-old boy has been rushed to hospital after he was hit by a car while crossing a Southampton street.

The youngster is understood to have been crossing Thornhill Park Road near the junction with Thornhill Avenue when he was struck by a Renault Megane car.

Worried onlookers called emergency services to the scene, close to the Texaco Garage, shortly after 2.45pm with paramedics from the South Central Ambulance Service arriving shortly afterwards.

Police were also sent and closed off the road while the boy's injuries were assessed.

A spokesman for the ambulance service said the youngster, understood to be from the local area, was treated at the scene for cuts and bruises.

He was also laid on a spinal board as a precaution and transferred to Southampton General Hospital after complaining to paramedics that he had pain in his back.

It is not yet known how or why the accident happened, though officers from Southampton's Roads Policing Unit are now conducting an investigation into the incident and are currently speaking to witnesses.