Detectives are investigating whether the husband of a woman knocked down in a hit-andrun crash was driving the van that almost killed her.

Mother-of-two Anne Hewlett was left fighting for her life in hospital after suffering horrific head injuries.

Sussex Police's major crime branch is treating the crash as attempted murder.

Mrs Hewlett's husband Martin, 44, was arrested and released on police bail last weekend The Argus can reveal.

The couple, of Guildford Road, Tarring, Worthing, have two teenage children.

It is not yet known if Mrs Hewlett, 35, has been permanently injured.

She suffered broken legs, crush wounds and liver damage as well as injuries to her skull.

Ten days later, she is still in intensive care in a Southampton hospital.

Mrs Hewlett is due to be assessed this week to see if her condition has improved enough for her to move to a hospital closer to home.

A white Ford Transit van hit Mrs Hewlett, who is thought to have been riding one of her children's bicycles, at about 10.45pm in Canterbury Road, Worthing, on February 29.

She was left lying in the road when the van drove off after the crash, just a few hundred yards from her home.

Police returned to the scene of the collision, near the junction with Friar Walk, on Friday night to question drivers and passers-by.

Members of the public have contacted officers with information but police are still keen to hear from anyone who saw anything on the night of the crash.

Detective Chief Inspector Graham Pratt, who is leading the inquiry, said: "Mrs Hewlett is a well-known, popular woman.

"While she is still undergoing treatment she is making a slow but steady improvement, although her injuries are still extremely serious and potentially life-changing."

Police later found a Ford Transit van abandoned in Broadwater Hall, off South Farm Road, about a mile away.

Scenes of crime officers took forensic samples from the van.

Crash investigators have examined the street for evidence of how the crash happened.

Mr Pratt said: "We are trying to find out the exact circumstances of the crash.

"There has been a full forensic examination of the scene."

Anyone with information who has not yet spoken to the police is asked to call 0845 6070999 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.