Mother pays tribute to her ‘little sunshine boy’, 3, who died in crash with tractor in Bury

‘I need to carry on living for him and take him with me wherever I go’

Mother pays tribute to ‘sunshine boy’ who died in crash with tractor (Police handout)

The mother of a three-year-old boy who died in a crash with a tractor has paid tribute to her “affectionate and caring” son.

Albie Speakman was killed in the crash on farmlands off Bentley Hall Road in Bury on Saturday afternoon.

His family were in a car driving the child to hospital when they flagged down a passing ambulance, but the youngster died before he arrived.

Paying tribute to him, his mother Leah has 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.

“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!”

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 Speakman’s mother pays tribute to her ‘little sunshine boy’ (Greater Manchester Police)

Albie’s mother added: “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. 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.

“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!”

Chief Inspector Ian Partington, of GMP’s Bury district, said: “This is a heart-breaking incident that has seen a young boy tragically lose his life and my thoughts go out to his family and loved ones who will be utterly devastated by today’s events.

“Despite his family flagging down an ambulance while driving him towards hospital 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 enquiries 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.