POLICE are treating an incident involving a boy and an ice cream van as an accident after the youngster told his parents he was playing about and fell off the van.

The five-year-old was airlifted to hospital after being found laying in the road at the junction of Eastways and Brindles on Canvey.

He is recovering from a serious head injury at Addenbrookes Hospital in Cambridge.

Eye witnesses had reported seeing the boy hanging off the back of the ice cream van moments before the incident on Wednesday afternoon.

The ice cream van driver did not stop but police have now spoken to him and enquiries are continuing.

Anyone with information should contact to contact Rayleigh road policing unit on 0300 333 4444.