A CYCLIST mowed down a six-year-old boy - then rode off leaving him lying injured on the ground.

Doctors say Connor Murray, six, was lucky to escape a serious head injury after being knocked over near his home in Crindau, Newport.

The youngster was taken to the city's Royal Gwent Hospital for treatment after the incident on Friday - and sparked initial fears he may have suffered a fractured skull.

Luckily, X-rays showed his injuries were not as serious as first thought. Connor was walking along the towpath of the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal near his Albany Street home with his father Patrick Murray, 34, and his five-year-old sister Megan at 5.30pm on Friday.

Mr Murray said: "I could hear this bike approaching fast behind me, then I just heard this almighty thump.

"I turned around and Connor was on the floor and he was stuck under the bike, under the cogs where the pedals are.

"The guy on the bike dragged him about six or seven yards along the path, then he just lifted his bike off Connor, looked at him and then me, got back on his bike then rode straight back off.

"He was really going a pace and I would definitely recognise him if I saw him again."

The shocked father raced home with his son and Connor was rushed to the hospital.

Mr Murray said: "They thought his jaw or his skull might be fractured so they took three or four X-rays of his head.

"The doctors there said that it could have been a lot worse because it was a head injury. Connor's had a sleepless night with nightmares."

The man was described by the family as being in his late 20s with short dark hair and a goatee beard and moustache. He was riding a racing bicycle.

Connor's grandmother Annette Baxter, 46, who lives around the corner in Argyle Street, Crindau, said: "Connor had a massive lump behind his ear and we thought he had a fractured skull.

"If I get my hands on that cyclist I'll break his legs. I think he was on his way home from work. But I'll be walking down the canal on Monday, and I hope he can swim, that's all I can say."

* Anyone who has any information about the incident, or who believes they know the cyclist responsible, should call Newport police on 01633 244999.