Police urge end to M56 tributes

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People are risking their lives to pay tribute to two boys killed on the M56 in Cheshire by placing flowers at the carriageway where they died.

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.

Officers are urging well-wishers to keep away from the motorway.

School gates

Instead, Guy Davies' parents have suggested that well-wishers wanting to pay their respects should lay flowers at the gates of Murdishaw West Community Primary School in Barnfield Avenue, Murdishaw, where the youngsters were both pupils.

The pair were pushing scooters across the carriageway

A police investigation is now under way to ascertain 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 (HSE)."

In the light of the tragedy, staff at Kieran and Guy's school are to speak to pupils about the dangers of high speed traffic when they return after half-term.