A family has told of their heartache after a 78-year-old woman was injured in a suspected hit and run collision.

Police are investigating after Catherine Palmer was knocked down while walking along a road in the village where she lives.

She suffered a broken shoulder and broke her arm in two places as a result of the incident.

Her daughter, Debra Howard, is now urging anyone with information to come forward.

"She's very fit and healthy – always out and about and very spirited. Since the incident she's been very tearful. It's so sad to see. It's aged her overnight. It's a travesty to see her so frail," Mrs Howard said.

Mrs Howard said her mother was walking on a straight and wide part of Sackmore Lane in Marnhull where she would have been visible to drivers.

Mrs Howard added her mother often walked the lane and other people in the village regularly walked it.

"She could hear the vehicle and she thought in her mind 'it's not going to stop' and there is a junction ahead so they weren't slowing down for that either," said Mrs Howard.

Mrs Palmer was hit by the car from behind and was thrown on to her back – the vehicle did not stop, the family said.

"She was on the side of the road for ten minutes screaming. It's lucky nothing else hit her," Mrs Howard added.

An elderly female driver stopped to help Mrs Palmer but then drove up the lane to turn around and come back.

Thinking the driver had left her there, Mrs Palmer walked alone back to her house and phoned her family who took her straight to hospital.

"She was probably only gone for five minutes, but for my mum, it felt like a lot longer," said Mrs Howard.

Mrs Howard said as her mother was hit from behind and in shock she was not sure what kind of vehicle hit her but believed it to be a silver or grey car or small van.

A statement from Dorset Police said: "Dorset Police received a report at 5.18pm on Wednesday, November 29, of a collision involving a pedestrian and a vehicle in Sackmore Lane in Marnhull. It was reported that the collision occurred at around 10.45am.

"It was reported that the pedestrian, a woman aged in her 70s, was initially able to make her way home but was later taken to hospital with injuries to her wrist and shoulder.

The spokesperson added officers were continuing to make enquiries into the incident no arrests had been made.

If you have any information about the incident which may help police with their enquiries call 101 and quote incident number 29:310.