Boy, 12, in critical condition after being hit by lightning at Hertfordshire football tournament

A 12-year-old boy is in a critical condition after being hit by lightning at a school football tournament during storms.

It happened at about 5.15pm on Monday during a tournament taking place at The Sele School in Hertford.

The tournament had been called off due to the weather and the teams were leaving the pitch when the lightning bolt hit the boy, the school's headteacher told ITV News Anglia.

A male bystander in his 50s was also hit by the lightning and was taken to Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow in Essex for further care.

The youngster was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge in a critical condition.

The boy was not a pupil at the Sele School, but the Chauncy School in Ware, its headteacher confirmed to ITV News Anglia.

Chris Quach, head of The Sele School, said: “On Monday after school there was a football tournament, organised by the district, which took place at The Sele School.

"Unfortunately, during the tournament there was a lightning strike which affected several people, two of whom, one adult and one student from another local secondary school, were taken to hospital for treatment.

“The entire staff of The Sele School, the wider school community and I would like to thank the emergency services, the parents and staff who were attending the match and were so helpful and our first aiders who did an amazing job while waiting for the emergency services to respond.

"Our good wishes and thoughts are with the people who were injured."

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: “The child was taken to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in a critical condition and the man was taken to Princess Alexandra hospital for further care."

Storms hit the south and south-east of England on Monday afternoon and evening.

Monitoring site Blitzortung.org reported nearly 3,500 lightning strikes recorded in a two-hour period during which the man and boy were injured.

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