A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl who lost her friend in a road accident helped hand out flowers in her memory to passing motorists last night as a community begged: "Help us make sure it doesn't happen again."

Abbey Village residents young and old huddled in disbelief next to the floral tributes placed in memory of 11-year-old Siobhan Wilcock who died after an accident with a car on Bolton Road on Saturday.

County Cllr Steve Holgate and local councillor Iris Smith took the lead and stopped passing motorists to hand them flowers and tell them of the tragedy and to call on them to support their campaign to lower the speed limit along this stretch of the road.

Little Rosie Gant, nine, who was playing with Siobhan at the time of the accident, was one of the first youngsters to hand flowers to a passing driver.

Police said Siobhan, of Higher Bank Street, Withnell, crossed the road in front of parked cars. She was airlifted to the Royal Preston Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.