Police watchdog called in after cop car crash left 16-year-old boy in hospital

The police watchdog has been called in to consider whether it should investigate after a boy aged 16 was hit by a cop car in Bolton.

The boy was hit on St Helens Road, in the Daubhill area, at around 7am on Friday morning (October 6). He was not seriously hurt.

Today (Saturday) it emerged Greater Manchester Police has referred the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), which will now consider whether to investigate.

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An IOPC spokesperson told the M.E.N: "We have received a referral from Greater Manchester Police concerning a road traffic incident in St Helen’s Road, Bolton, on 6 October. The referral will be assessed to determine whether any further action by the IOPC is required."

Police said initially the full extent of the boy's injuries was 'unknown'. The force has since confirmed he was not seriously injured.

A spokesman for GMP said: "We have had confirmation that the pedestrian has suffered minor injuries. The investigation is ongoing."

The teenager was taken to hospital from the scene, a spokesperson for the North West Ambulance Service confirmed. Officers cordoned off a stretch of the road, near the junction with Church Avenue, after the incident.

Pictures from the scene showed the police car with its left wing mirror hanging off and a major dent in the windscreen. Another image showed a brown bag and water bottle next to a first aid kit on the road.

A police photographer was spotted taking pictures within the cordon as traffic was diverted away from the area. A number of shops were within