A REVELLER suffered a broken leg after being hit by a police car.

An investigation is now under way into the collision outside Heroes nightclub in Blackrod in the early hours of Christmas morning.

The man had gone into the road to flag the police vehicle down, according to a witness. The incident has been referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The 21-year-old was hit at about 2.30am after officers were called to the bar in Manchester Road to reports of a fight.

Police say that one officer arrived first and was trying to calm a group of men outside the bar, when another ran into the road.

At the same time, another officer was approaching the bar in a car and collided with the man.

The man was knocked down and went under the car and out the other side, according to a witness.

The police car suffered damage to the front side, but the officer driving it was unhurt.

It is not known what speed the car was travelling at impact. Officers arrived at 2.39am, six minutes after the emergency call.

The injured reveller was taken to Salford Royal Hospital for treatment to a broken leg.

An eyewitness, who asked not to be named, told The Bolton News: "He went under the front of the car and out of the back. I'm amazed he wasn't killed to be honest."

A police spokesman said: "At 2.33am on Thursday, December 25, we were called to reports of a fight.

"An officer attended and a group of men were outside and one man became a bit aggressive.

"The officer tried to calm him down

"A t this point the other officer was approaching the scene in a police car.

"The man ran into the road and collided with the car.

"The man was taken to hospital and treated for a broken leg.

"A mandatory referral has been made to the Independent Police Complaints Commission."

No arrests have been made in relation to the reported fight.

A spokesman for Heroes Bar said they were aware of an incident in the road outside but said nothing had taken place in the bar.

A North West Ambulance Service spokesman said they were called to a road traffic collision at 2.45am, and arrived at 2.58am.

They took a man, in his 20s, to Royal Bolton Hospital for treatment to a leg injury.