A woman has been seriously injured after she was dragged through the streets of a northern German town behind a car with a cord tied around her neck.

Her ex-partner later turned himself in to authorities, prosecutors said.

Police in Hameln said they are treating the incident as an attempted killing.

The 28-year-old local woman had a cord tied around her neck, which was attached to the car's tow bar, they said.

The car drove through several streets, dragging the woman behind it.

The woman was found lying on a pavement with grave injuries, police said.

At around the same time, a 38-year-old man from nearby Bad Muender went to a police station and said he was the perpetrator and was arrested.

The man was the victim's ex-partner, Thomas Klinge, a spokesman for prosecutors in Hannover said.

However, there was no immediate information on a possible motive.

The victim underwent an emergency operation and was then flown to a specialist clinic.

Police said they could not confirm reports on social media that there had also been a shooting.

They called for witnesses to come forward, particularly anyone who might have seen how the victim was released from the car.