THE parents of hit-and-run victim Katie Scales are hoping Christmas may have helped to prick the conscience of the driver who left their daughter seriously injured.

Police are still hunting the driver of the black Fiat Punto which knocked down the 11-year-old All Saints' School pupil in Blossom Street, York, on December 4.

Katie suffered a broken jaw and a broken arm and shoulder and was critically ill when first admitted to hospital, but recovered enough to spend Christmas with her family.

Her father, Jeff, said he hoped the family emphasis of Christmas would make the driver come forward.

He said: "Hopefully the person responsible has had Christmas with their family and has sat down and realised what they have done.

"We still need them to come forward and contact the police so Katie can know why this happened to her."

Police are looking into an anonymous tip-off received by the Evening Press, which gave a name and location of a driver. The sender was reacting to the section of our website, www.thisisyork.co.uk which details the Blossom Street incident.

Traffic Constable Richard Gatecliffe said inquiries would be made into the tip-off, adding: "It is nice to know that people are logging on to the website and passing on information.

"If the person lives outside the region they could have gone home and convinced friends and relatives the damage has been caused by some other means and pulled the wool over their eyes. We are hoping somebody will put two and two together."

Katie is recovering well, although she is still in pain and tires quickly.

She is due to go back into hospital for a night on January 8 so doctors can remove "buttons" which were wired into her jaw.

She has also been invited to York District Hospital's children's ward party.

In three weeks' time, she will return to the hospital for checks on her broken arm.

Updated: 10:30 Saturday, December 28, 2002