A teenager is in a critical condition in hospital tonight after a stolen car flipped onto its roof in Burnley.

The 19-year-old man was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital with head and internal injuries.

Police are now hunting a second man who they believe dragged the injured teenager from the wreckage of the Land Rover Discovery, which overturned in Gannow Lane at around 5.50am today.

The vehicle was stolen during a burglary in Mellor Close, in Rosehill, before the driver lost control on the downhill stretch near Adamson Street.

It is unclear who was driving the Discovery or if any other vehicles were involved in the crash, police said.

Officers closed the road road between the junction 10 roundabout and the Grey Mare pub for around nine hours to carry out an investigation.

When the vehicle eventually ground to a halt, the back of it was only two or three feet away from the front an end-terrace property, which is home to a family.

It crashed about 20-feet away from a tent on a grassed area where two boys, aged 12 and 13, were camping overnight.

Sergeant Dave Hogarth, from the road policing unit, said: “I would urge anybody that witnessed this incident or saw a man running away from the scene to contact police.

“It is possible that this man could also have sustained injuries in the collision that will require treatment.

“I would also be keen to speak with anyone that saw the silver Land Rover Discovery driving around the area prior to the collision to contact us.”

Charlie Briggs, leader of Burnley Council who represents the Gannow ward, said: “There were kids not 20 or 30 feet away from where it happened and it landed about two or three feet away from a house.

“It is through sheer luck and God’s will that it did not go into them.”

Gannow Lane features speed humps at regular intervals and is included in a 20mph zone, in line with restrictions introduced in the last year.

This incident has prompted residents to call on the authorities to do more to clamp down on ‘boy racers’ who use the roads as a ‘racetrack’.

One resident, who did not want to be named, said: “I was awake with the kids anyway, but I just heard a huge bang and went to the window to have a look.

“They use these roads like a racetrack. There are always loads of kids playing out around here and some people drive like idiots and come flying down at high speeds.

“The humps make it worse because they use them like ramps. I said it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously hurt.”

Another said: “We fought for it to be made a 20mph zone, but they travel at least twice as fast as that - usually 40mph or 50mph.

“It’s worse at night. Those kids are lucky to be alive - it could have easily hit them.”

But Coun Briggs said problems with speeding motorists had improved since the restrictions were brought in.

He said: “If you go to the top of the road there are two massive signs to say it’s a 20mph zone and further down the road there are speed humps.

“Lancashire County Council has now encompassed all that area in the 20mph zone.

“There is not a right lot more you can do. I travel along that lane at various times a day because I use it to get into Burnley when I’m going to the town hall.

“Since they put the speed humps there I haven’t seen any speeding.”

Anyone with information should call police on 08451 25 35 45 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.