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Security guard criticised at road death inquest

9/10/2008

A SECURITY guard has been criticised for his reaction to a flare-up after which a teenager fled on to a motorway and was killed.

Promising footballer Nathan Owen, 16, of Droylsden, was hit by three cars on the M60 in Ashton under Lyne, an inquest was told. He died at the scene between Junctions 22 and 23 in October last year.

Nathan, signed by Manchester United football academy at eight, was with three friends outside Hollywood Bowl, Ashton Moss, when one of the group was abusive to  the security guard after being thrown out. The Stockport inquest heard the other three boys tried to calm him.

Police responding to reports it was `kicking off' arrived at the scene with blue lights flashing and the boys ran off. A police community support officer briefly gave chase  before giving up.

Ian Marland, a security guard responsible for patrolling the  Ashton Moss site, said the boys appeared frightened and panicked when they saw the police van. He said the security guard at Hollywood Bowl didn't deal with the situation properly.

Mr Marland said: "I've seen this on many, many occasions and felt his attitude was wrong. He could have been a bit more tactful. I feel a quiet word and they would have left."

He described the disturbance outside the bowling alley as a bit of banter and said no real offence had been committed {ndash} and the boys, who had earlier been drinking alcopops and lager, were not drunk.

The inquest had earlier heard how police thought they were responding to a serious incident.

Had the officers known the true cause of the disturbance, they accept they would have responded differently.

Proceeding