Police have said a 12-year-old girl hit by a police car on Wednesday morning remains in a serious condition in hospital.

The girl sustained serious head injuries after being hit by the Ford Focus, which police said was responding to a violent incident with blue lights flashing, on Trevenson Street just before 8am.

She was taken to the Royal Cornwall Hospital before being transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital by air ambulance.

A Devon and Cornwall Police spokesperson said on Friday morning: "The girl remains in a serious but stable condition."

A spokesperson for the Camborne Science and International Academy, where the girl is a pupil, said: "CSIA are understandably shocked by the events of Wednesday morning when one of our Year 7 students was involved in a road traffic accident.

"At this time, the police are keeping us informed and updated and our thoughts and best wishes are with the student and her family.”

Superintendent Ian Drummond-Smith, responsible for local policing in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, said: “This is a very sad and terrible incident for everyone involved and a police officer’s worst nightmare.  All our thoughts are with the child and her family at this extremely difficult time.”

A full investigation was started on Wednesday morning, and the Independent Police Complaints Commission has been informed as a matter of routine due to the involvement of a police vehicle in a collision.

Devon and Cornwall Police said on Friday that the investigation was "still in the assessment stage."

The road has been closed at Wesley Street and traffic is being diverted down 

Superintendent Drummond-Smith added: “We do not yet fully understand the circumstances of this incident.  We are carrying out all necessary actions as part of a very thorough investigation and we must remain patient while the IPCC carries out an initial assessment.”

Anyone witnesses to the collision are asked to call police on 101 quoting reference 121 of 6 January.