A TEN-YEAR-OLD boy was seriously injured last night after a collision with a car on Newport's Southern Distributor Road.

He was taken to the Royal Gwent Hospital with life-threatening injuries after colliding with a Ford Ka in the Spytty area just after 6pm but on Saturday morning was described as being in a stable condition.

The boy's family were at his bedside last night.

Gwent Police Inspector Gary Beak said the injuries "were a cause for concern."

He said the incident happened as the boy, believed to be from the area, was crossing the busy dual carriageway with friends.

Police were last night interviewing the male driver of the Ford as a standard procedure.

The collision happened on the A48 city-bound dual carriageway just after the Nash Road roundabout where there is a nearby footbridge.

In October, the Argus revealed how pupils from Lliswerry High School were risking their lives by taking dangerous shortcuts across the SDR in the same area.

We reported how head teacher John Rawlings and local councillors said they were horrified to see youngsters ignoring safety barriers and the footbridge.

After last night's incident, police closed the carriageway for several hours as the collision investigation unit tried to find out what caused it.

Sergeant Jon Hill, of the traffic department, said at the scene: "We are making a full investigation of the scene and are trying to establish how the collision occurred.

"We are interviewing the driver...he is very upset."

Dave Watkins, 26, sales executive at the nearby Carcraft car dealership, said he witnessed the collision.

He said: "It was awful. It was a glancing blow. I saw the boy lying on the floor covered with a blanket. I feel desperately sorry for his parents."

Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them on 01633 838111 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.