MOTORWAY police are calling on parents to keep their children away from motorways over the summer holidays.

The warning comes three years after the death of seven-year-old Garry Cunliffe, who was killed in October of 1997 on the M61 near Chorley.

Garry, of Seven Acres, Clayton Brook, was with a group of friends when he was hit by a car as they played near the motorway near junction 9.

And officers in Lancashire Constabulary's Motorway Unit report that during last year, nearly 500 accidents involving young children were recorded by the police.

With the summer holidays soon arriving, children have more free time, and police are advising parents to teach their youngsters of the dangers involved in playing near motorways.

Inspector Peter Stas said: "For many years now, officers have had an on-going input to schools to warn children of the dangers of playing on or near the motorways. Despite these warnings we continue to get reports that this kind of behaviour is still happening. This is especially disturbing when only four years ago a seven-year-old boy was killed on the M61 at Chorley.

"We would advise parents that they should always ensure that they know where their children are playing. Children should be warned about playing anywhere near the motorway let alone on the carriageways or on overhead bridges. This type of incident not only causes a danger to the children themselves but also to the drivers on the motorways and the emergency services."

According to the motorway police unit, most of the accidents are caused by one of four things -- children playing on bridges or carriageways, objects being thrown onto carriageways, children riding bikes on the carriageways or hard shoulder, and children walking dogs on the hard shoulder and carriageways.

But police are quick to remind both parents and children that throwing objects onto motorway carriageways is illegal, and is part of the 'recklessly endangering life' offence, which carries a maximum term of life imprisonment.