THE family of an eight-year-old boy have spoken of their relief after he underwent an operation to remove a blood clot from his brain.

Liam Richardson, of Garesfield Gardens, in Burnopfield, County Durham, was hit by a car at 1.40pm on Monday.

Yesterday, he had surgery at Newcastle General Hospital and now has a plate in his head and pins in a broken leg.

The Burnopfield Primary School pupil was last night sedated and doctors are planning to bring him round today.

His father, Tony, 35, said: "It is a great relief to know he has gone through the operation without a problem. But I will not be completely satisfied until I see him open his eyes and hear him say, 'Hello Daddy'.

"He has got a bit of swelling, so they are going to let that go down before waking him up."

Police said Liam was with two friends and they had apparently ridden their bikes out of a junction into the path of a car in Syke Road, near his home.

The car, driven by a woman from Lancashire, was able to avoid his friends, but hit Liam.

He was initially taken to the University Hospital of North Durham, but later transferred to Newcastle General.

Liam's mother Wendy, 33, a housewife, stayed at the hospital with Liam while Mr Richardson checked on brother Kieran, 11, and their daughters Holly, 10, and Ellie, six, at his mother Irene's home in Stanley.

She said: "We are very hopeful now and very relieved he will not have brain damage.

"We thought it was going to be a lot worse at first so we are welcoming this good news."