The dad of a three-year-old boy who died after being hit by a tractor on a farm in Tottington has paid tribute to him.

Albie Speakman suffered fatal injuries on Saturday after an incident off Bentley Hall Road.

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

The tractor driver is helping the police with their inquiries.

Enquiries from Bury CID alongside colleagues at the Health and Safety Executive are ongoing.

In a tribute released on Sunday, Albie's mum Leah Bridge said: “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 onto them.

 

“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."

Bury Times: Albie SpeakmanAlbie Speakman

Both parents, who are separated, had recently paid for Albie's passport, as Leah planned to drive to Euro Disney with Albie and Neil planning a holiday to Morocco.

Albie's father, Neil Speakman, 36, said: “He was forever at the farm, staring and pointing up at the sky finding planes and telling me that that will be him one day.

“The trip to Morocco would have been his first time on a plane.

“It’s things like that you take for granted, things being able to teach him how to drive, things that I will never get to do now.”

Albie's mum shared his love for holidays and other people, with his father agreeing to his beautiful nature.

He said: “The morning it happened, we went to Burnley to deliver some woodchip to a lady with a big play area.

“She had only ordered two bags but needed five or six and couldn’t afford the extra. At three years old, Albie ran straight over demanding that I would bring her some more for free.

“He was the most caring and genuinely happy lad in the world. Anyone who ever met him would say the same. He was my best friend.”

Albie was their best friend, but there was always one person he could never resist, his new baby sister Willow.Bury Times: Albie, Neil and Willow Speakman Albie, Neil and Willow Speakman

Neil and his partner Millie welcomed Willow into the world 14 weeks ago and Albie has been the perfect big brother ever since.

Neil said: “When Leah dropped him off, the first thing wasn’t ‘hi daddy’ or a hug, it was ‘Where is my baby sister!

“He always wanted to hold her and feed her, and he had to double check her car seat straps every time.

“We went to Southport recently and Albie was on his new trike but it got really windy going down the pier so he got off and held onto the pram instead because he didn’t want Willow to blow away.”

Leah said: “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.”