Heartbroken mother pays tribute after boy dies in farmyard accident with tractor
Albie Speakman suffered fatal injuries on farmland.
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The mother of a three-year-old boy killed in a collision with a tractor on a farm said she is “broken beyond repair.”
Albie Speakman suffered fatal injuries on farmland off Bentley Hall Road in the Tottington area of Bury, Greater Manchester, at about 12.45pm on Saturday July 16.
His family were in a vehicle carrying the child to hospital before they flagged down a passing ambulance, but the youngster died before he arrived.
The tractor’s driver, understood to have known the child, is helping police with their inquiries.
Officers said they are not looking for anyone else in connection with the incident.
Albie’s mother, Leah, described her son as her “little sunshine boy”.
She said: “Albie was an incredibly loving, affectionate and caring boy who just wanted everyone to be happy.
“He was so sensitive and wanted everyone to be OK, especially the people that he loved.
“He loved to play, whether it be with his family or friends at nursery. He would always look for little round things wherever he went – stones, polystyrene balls, bouncy balls, beads – I’m not sure why but he just loved anything round, he would just hold on to them.
“His favourite memories are at Cleethorpes beach, with his bucket and spade and his ball. His happiest days were on that beach. We were so free and didn’t have any cares in the world. It was just me and Albie and nothing else mattered.
I always call him my little sunshine boy because he has brought so much light into my life and he is my little ray of sunshine, and I don't want his life to end here. I need to carry on living for him and take him with me wherever I go
“Whenever I’d ask him what he wanted to do, he’d want to go on holiday to the beach again. That’s how I know he was truly happy there.
“We all love Albie so much more than we can ever put into words, especially his Nan and his ‘Nanny-Nanny’ as he would always call her.
“I will miss absolutely everything about Albie – his voice, his smile, the smell of his skin and the feel of his little hands on my face when he would say, ‘I love you, mummy girl’.
“I’ll especially miss going on adventures with Albie, anywhere and everywhere we could have fun. Nothing will ever fill the hole that he has left in our hearts.
“We are broken beyond repair.
“I always call him my little sunshine boy because he has brought so much light into my life and he is my little ray of sunshine, and I don’t want his life to end here.
“I need to carry on living for him and take him with me wherever I go. We still have so many more memories to make, Albie.
Despite his family flagging down an ambulance while driving him towards hospital as quickly as they could, the boy sadly could not be saved after the best efforts of paramedics. I can't imagine how distressing this was for those involved
“I love him so much and I know he will find his way back to me someday, somehow, because we need each other.
“Until then, I will look for him in everything I do and I will celebrate his life.
“I’m not sure how to carry on this life without you, but I will find a way to be strong for you and make you proud.”
A joint police and Health and Safety Executive (HSE) investigation is ongoing and specialist officers from Greater Manchester Police (GMP) are supporting Albie’s family.
Chief Inspector Ian Partington, of GMP’s Bury district, said: “Despite his family flagging down an ambulance while driving him towards hospital as quickly as they could, the boy sadly could not be saved after the best efforts of paramedics. I can’t imagine how distressing this was for those involved.
“We are working to ensure that a full investigation is carried out, and the farmland where we understand this incident to have occurred remains cordoned off to allow our investigators and partners from the HSE to conduct thorough inquiries to establish exactly what has occurred here.”
A police car was involved in a minor crash with another vehicle in Bell Lane while officers attended the initial call from the North West Ambulance Service.
The occupants of the second vehicle were taken to hospital as a precaution.
The officer in the police car was unhurt.