The mum of a toddler who died after a collision with a tractor has paid tribute to her 'little sunshine boy' who 'just wanted everyone to be happy'. Albie Speakman has today (July 17) been named as the three-year-old boy who suffered fatal injuries after the tragic incident on a farm off Bentley Hall Road, near Bury.
His family desperately tried to get the toddler to hospital on Saturday afternoon before flagging an ambulance on Rochdale Old Road at around 12.45pm, but Albie was sadly pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics. In a statement, his mum Leah has shared her favourite memories with the toddler and says she will 'find a way to be strong' for her son.
Leah 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.
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"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 onto 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. 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 whole 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!
“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.”
Police were called out by North West Ambulance Service at around 12.45pm yesterday. Officers descended on Rochdale Old Road, before inspecting the scene at Bentley Hall Road, alongside investigators from the Health and Safety Executive.
Albie's family is being supported by specialist officers. GMP says the driver of the tractor is assisting police with their enquiries.
Chief Inspector Ian Partington, of GMP’s Bury district, said on Saturday: "This is a heartbreaking 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."
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