Mourners dice with death over M56 crash tributes

Oct 28 2007

MOURNERS are risking their lives by placing floral tributes on the M56 close to where two boys died last week, police have warned.

Police say a number of floral tributes have been laid on the hard shoulder of the M56 at Preston Brook, near Runcorn.

Kieran Coupe, seven, and his friend Guy Davies, six, died when they were hit by three cars as they crossed the motorway with their scooters on Wednesday night.

Now Guy's family have asked well-wishers to lay flowers at the gates of Murdishaw West Community Primary School in Barnfield Avenue, Murdishaw, where the youngsters were both pupils.

A police investigation is now under way to work out how the boys gained access to the motorway.

They will look at whether the fence close to the carriageway was taken down for maintenance work - or was vandalised.

A spokeswoman for Cheshire Police said: "We are looking at every possible route the children may have taken as part of our inquiry for the coroner.

"Fencing, or lack of fencing, will be one of the lines of inquiry and for that reason we will liaise with the Health and Safety Executive."

Primary school pupils will be given road safety lessons after the death of the pair

Murdishaw West Primary is adopting a road safety plan in response to the deaths.

Headteacher Kathryn Dukes said: “This tragic news comes as a great shock to the whole school community.

“Kieran and Guy had the rest of their lives ahead of them and we are all devastated.

“The boys will be missed by all the staff and pupils.

“Our thoughts are with the families at this very difficult time and we will, of course, be giving them all the help and support we can.”

Mrs Dukes said a comprehensive road safety plan is already in place.

Talks between education officials at the local authority, Halton Council, are already under way over adapting the plan to take into account the tragedy.

Cheshire police has informed the Health and Safety Executive over the youngsters’ deaths.

Kieran’s father Colin Lambert, 31, blamed a lack of fencing and danger signs around the area for the tragedy.

Yesterday it emerged that a section of fencing close to the scene may have been taken down, possibly as part of maintenance works.

A HSE spokesman added: “We have been informed by the police that there may be a section of fence missing. We are waiting for the police to establish where the fence was and how far it was from the motorway.

“It is by no means clear at this stage that the fence was removed as part of works, it may have been vandalised or something like that.”

Halton Council said it would review the need for danger signs along the edge of the motorway.

Police also said that since the boys’ deaths, friends and neighbours have been placing flowers on the hard shoulder of the motorway.

Officers issued a warning for people not to approach the area and, instead, place flowers on a nearby footbridge or at the boys’ school.