MOTORISTS watched in horror as two children sat on a crash barrier in the middle of a motorway as cars sped past at 70mph.

Worried drivers alerted the police after seeing the youngsters, thought to be a teenage boy and girl, on the central reservation of the M56.

Catherine McGraph, aged 62, who was driving home to North Wales filmed the shocking incident on a dashboard camera.

She was heading close to junction 12 near Preston Brook in Runcorn on Sunday afternoon when she spotted the children.

They were just yards from a spot where Murdishaw schoolboys Kieran Coupe, aged six, and Guy Davies, aged seven, were killed in 2007.

Mrs McGraph said: “As I was driving along, I saw something on the central reservation.

“As I got closer, I realised it was two children. I thought they were going to run across.

“I started beeping my horn to warn other motorists.

“The children were sitting on the crash barrier. I was shocked.

“It was very upsetting and disturbing.”

She pulled over and dialled 999.

The children were waving at cars as they sped past.

She added: “I was going at 70mph when I saw them. It would have been difficult for drivers to stop in time if they had tried to run across.”

Police used motorway signs to slow traffic down and rushed to the scene.

But, despite an extensive search, the children could not be found.

It is reported that drivers saw two teenagers dash across three lanes into woods near the motorway.

The age of the children has not been confirmed.

Some witnesses described them as being between eight and 10, whilst others said they seemed to be around 14.

The police were alerted at 6pm.

Inspector Richard Hill said: “The incident was graded as a grade one emergency and officers arrived at the scene in under 10 minutes, although at the time of arrival the children had already left the scene.
“Motorways are not a place for children to play.

“ It is extremely dangerous for pedestrians to enter the carriageway, this includes both adults and children”