THE heartbroken family of an award-winning Wirral chef killed in a car crash have warned of the dangers of speeding.

Former Neston primary and com-prehensive pupil Ben Stuart Williams died instantly when his Toyota Avensis careered off the road, plough-ing through a concrete wall and a fence before skidding down an embankment off the A494 carriage-way, in North Wales.

At his inquest in Denbigh yesterday, his relatives tearfully urged families to warn their loved ones that speeding can kill.

Investigators estimated that Ben was travelling around 80mph along the Ruthin to Llanbedr road, which has a maximum speed limit of 60mph.

The 25-year-old, originally from Bebington, was on his way to work at the Lever Brothers factory in Port Sunlight, where he was head chef.

In a statement read out to the court, his boss said: “If wages could be paid for respect, we couldn’t have afforded Ben.”

Ben also worked for the Village, in Bromborough, and lived in New Ferry before moving to Pwllglas, near Ruthin. The award-winning chef, who once cooked for Tiger Woods, was pro-nounced dead at the scene near Vale Country Club on April 25.

HGV driver Luke Taylor was on his way to work that morning and stopped his vehicle when he noticed wooden debris scattered across both lanes of the road. He said two cars passed him minutes before he spotted Ben’s Avensis upside down in a nearby field.

Emergency crews rushed to the scene, but Ben had died instantly from multiple injuries.

Sergeant Colin Dobbins, of the Col-lision Investigation Unit, said: “It is not known what speed Ben negotiated the bend, but evidence would suggest it was in excess of the speed limit.

“Unfortunately, the actions of the driver were the consequences of a high-speed collision.”

A dead pigeon was found near to the scene of the crash and the officer said it is a possibility Ben could have been distracted by hitting the bird.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, deputy coroner John Gittins said speed was a “significant factor in the accident”.