Police probe after boy of three is killed by a tractor

A THREE-YEAR-OLD boy died in ‘heartbreaking’ circumstances following a collision with a tractor yesterday.

Police were called after a vehicle carrying a seriously injured child flagged down an ambulance, but the boy died before he could be taken to hospital.

He had suffered critical injuries following a collision with a tractor on farmland off Bentley Hall Road in the Tottington area of Bury, Greater Manchester.

The driver of the tractor has been assisting police with their inquiries.

An incident scene remained in place at the farm while police and the Health and Safety Executive investigate.

Chief Inspector Ian Partington, of Greater Manchester Police’s Bury district, said: ‘Despite his family flagging down an ambulance while driving him towards hospital as quickly as they possibly could, the boy sadly could not be saved after the best efforts of paramedics.

‘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.

‘I can’t imagine how distressing this was for those involved.’

Mr Partington added: ‘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.’

Specialist officers were supporting the family of the boy, and asked that their privacy was respected.