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Ports alert for crash driver

Friday 19 January 1996 00:02 GMT
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Channel ports were alerted to look out for a lorry driver last night as police investigated the death of a teenage cyclist in Kent

Fifteen-year-old Amy Durling, from Greenhill, near Herne Bay in Kent, was on her paper-round when the incident occurred, at about 7.30am yesterday, on the London-bound carriageway of the busy A299 Thanet Way at Greenhill.

The driver stopped to remove the bicycle wreckage from his vehicle before driving off.

Kent Police officers, trying to trace the driver of what witnesses said was a foreign-registered lorry, gave its description to port officials at Ramsgate and Dover.

One theory is that the lorry, travelling in convoy with another, may have arrived on an early morning ferry from the Continent.

A police spokeswoman said: "We have been in contact with the ports and also local transport companies and given them a description of the vehicle we are looking for. So far we have not been able to trace the lorry or the driver.

"Tomorrow we will be issuing leaflets to freight drivers at Ramsgate and Dover and we will also be stopping drivers at a check point at the accident scene at the same time."

The two vehicles are described as having yellow tractor units and blue trailers with blue canvas tops with either yellow or white writing on them.

Amy, a pupil at Herne Bay High School, had completed her mock-GCSE exams last week and had ambitions of becoming a nurse. Her body was identified by her parents.

Danny O'Donovan, head teacher at Herne Bay High School, where she was a prefect, said his pupils and staff were in shock. "I have called in educational psychologists and counsellors to help me break the news to the school and they will be on hand over the next few days. We will especially be keeping a close eye on those who were close to Amy."

Mr O'Donovan said Amy "was a credit in every way. She was one of those girls for whom nothing was too much trouble and she was always willing to help with school events."

Police have urged witnesses to call 01227 817145.

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