CHILDREN are playing a deadly game of 'chicken' on the new M65 - and police warn someone will die if they carry on.

Reports of groups of youngsters running across the carriageway of the extended motorway have shocked officers.

It is just weeks since a seven-year-old boy died on the M61 after being hit by a car near Bamber Bridge as he played with friends.

In the M65 incident, juveniles were seen running across the motorway near to where the A677 Haslingden Road crosses it at Shadsworth.

"We understand they have been climbing over a fence next to the motorway and then racing across it," said Inspector John Spencer of the motorway police. "It is a ridiculous thing to do and there is only one end result.

"As well as being illegal it is extremely dangerous."

Officers recently carried out a test where a car was travelling at 80-90mph in the fast lane of a motorway.

"By the time a pedestrian a quarter of a mile ahead had made it from the hard shoulder to the fast lane the car had reached them. It is virtually impossible to make a time and distance evaluation when vehicles are travelling that fast."

Inspector Spencer urged parents to make children aware of the dangers of the motorway.

"We need to put a stop to this before the lighter nights when we tend to have more problems with juveniles."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.