A  man has been questioned by police in connection with a Worthing 'hit and run' which left a cyclist with serious head injuries.

The 20-year-old cyclist from Sompting was travelling along Brighton Road when he was hit at 3.40am on Sunday morning. 

He was taken to Worthing Hospital with a fractured skull, a bleed on the brain and a broken back before being transferred to the specialist Hurstwood Park Hospital in Haywards Heath. 

The driver is alleged to have fled the scene, leaving the cyclist lying next to his badly damaged bike. 

A 39-year-old man from Lancing handed himself into police yesterday afternoon and was arrested on suspicion of careless driving, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and drink driving. 

As The Argus went to print last night, the suspect was still in custody while the cyclist was described as being in a "serious but stable" condition.

Builder Mel Embrey, who was staying at the Baltimore Guest House in Brighton Road, saw the aftermath of the incident. 

The 38-year-old said: "I saw the blue flashing lights and had a look outside. 

"The ambulance was parked up over the road and one of the paramedics was out there with his flashlight looking for something up and down the road.

"It must've been about 4am or just before and then the police turned up, closed it all off and carried on searching along the road.

"It looked like the bike had just been thrown on the floor."

The road has since been reopened.

A police spokesman said: "At that time of the morning there wouldn't have been much traffic about so we are appealing for anyone who was in the area around the time to contact us if you witnessed the collision or if you saw a dark-coloured car that may have been involved.

"In particular, we would like to speak to a man and a woman who were at the scene, but left without leaving their details with police.

"Please email collision.appeal@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting Operation Prague."