A woman in her 20s died at the scene of a collision involving a black Ford Fiesta and a pedestrian on the A3049 between the Mannings Heath roundabout and Alderney roundabout.

Dorset Police received a report at 9.46pm on Sunday 12 December but the occupants of the vehicle had left the area.

Following enquiries, a 17-year-old boy, an 18-year-old woman, an 18-year-old man, two 19-year-old men and two men aged 20 – all from Poole – were arrested on suspicion of driving offences.

Inspector Craig Tatton, of the traffic unit, said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of the woman who very sadly died.

“We are carrying out enquiries to establish the full circumstances of this collision and I am appealing to any witnesses who have not already spoken to police to please get in touch.

“I would also like to hear from any motorists who were travelling in the area and may have captured anything of relevance on dashcam footage.

“Finally, I would like to thank the public for their patience and understanding while the road closures were in place. These were absolutely necessary to allow the emergency services to carry out their work.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact Dorset Police at www.dorset.police.uk, via email scit@dorset.pnn.police.uk or by calling 101, quoting incident number 12:561. Alternatively, to stay 100 per cent anonymous, contact the independent charity Crimestoppers online at Crimestoppers-uk.org or call Freephone 0800 555 111.