THE M61 could be turned into a lethal playground by youngsters in Farnworth because there is nothing for them to do at night, a school's head boy claims.

Oliver Smith, head boy at Harper Green School, gave his warning after the death of 13-year-old Cheslea Hartigan, who was killed while crossing the busy motorway with friends last month.

Oliver, aged 15, says the school has been rocked by Chelsea's death, but fears that teenagers who use land near the motorway to congregate at night may still be tempted to use it as a short cut, or to play lethal games of "chicken" with vehicles, unless they are found an alternative meeting place at night.

Chelsea's funeral was held on Tuesday, and yesterday Oliver warned that a serious accident or another death could be just around the corner.

"Everybody has been really upset about what has happened, but it could happen again because people have just got nothing to do at night or at the weekend," he said.

Police believe Chelsea, a pupil at Harper Green School, ran on to the motorway instead of using a nearby footbridge. Her 14-year-old friend Zoe Gibbons, who is also from Farnworth, watched helplessly as she was struck by four cars on the northbound carriageway near to Lucas Road, New Bury.

A new housing estate in the Highfield area of Farnworth borders the motorway and residents living near the scene of the tragedy claim children regularly "dice with death" by running across the six lanes of speeding traffic.

Oliver, of Derwent Road, Farnworth, said: "There's nothing for people to do. Absolutely nothing. There's a lot of kids who have started to come out in the evenings now they are getting lighter, but there's nowhere for us to go and people have started hanging around down by the motorway.

"Some people will be put off from using it as a short cut for a while, but it will start again. It's boring and you can't really blame them for making their own entertainment.

"There needs to be some focal point for people to meet up at the weekend and at evenings, like a youth club, and we don't feel that we've got that."

Farnworth councillor James Lord has backed calls for extra facilities in the town. He felt that a skateboard park due to be built in the town would provide a "kick start" for youth developments.

"We know what the problem is and we are trying to do something about it," he said. "We hope that the skate park at New Bury could provide us with the kick start that we need to get a larger area set-up for youngsters. Then we would like to take it from there."

"We do realise that there are not enough facilities in Farnworth, but we feel that is a problem right across the borough."