[31 JAN 01] CRIMES, FIRES & ACCIDENTS
Poster Appeal Spreads Killer Hunt

A nationwide poster campaign has been launched by Warwickshire police to try and find the lorry driver responsible for killing a motorcyclist on a motorway.

Ten thousand posters are being distributed to lorry depots, lorry parks, vehicle testing stations and weighbridges in a bid to find the person responsible for the death of Ronald Cobbledick.

Mr Cobbledick, aged 43, from Rossendale in Lancashire died on 30 October at 6.05am after his Piaggio scooter was hit by a lorry and dragged along the southbound carriageway of the M40 near junction 16.

Police say the driver only stopped to free the mangled wreckage from his vehicle before carrying on.

An appeal last week on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme yielded more than 10 calls. Police are sifting through the information.

Sgt Mike Ricketts, deputy investigating officer, said:

“By distributing the posters to lorry bases and stops throughout the country, we are appealing to a wide section of the road haulage industry to help us identify the lorry we believe was involved.

“We are again appealing for the driver of the lorry featured on the posted to come forward and contact us and would ask that anyone who went past the collision but has not contacted us so far, to call the incident room on 01926 415257.

“Any piece of information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, could help the investigating team.”

SEE [25 JAN 01] MOTORCYCLIST KILLER TRACKED WITH TV APPEAL