Thirty one years on from tragic Akers Way crash which killed five children

A driver lost control of his car and reached speeds of more than 90mph just before he hit Paula Barnes, 15, Belinda Brown, 19, Paul Carr, 16, Sheree Lear, eight, and seven-year-old Ian Lilley.

The motorist - 24-year-old Shaun Gooch - of Penhill received a five-year jail sentence for causing death by reckless driving.

Furious campaigners had been calling for a lower speed limit and other safety measures on the road long before the deadly accident happened. After the crash, the speed limit went from 40mph to 30mph and a roundabout was added to the entrance of Cheney Manor Industrial Estate.

The families of the victims have since moved away from the area and the bench where the children played has been removed, but a memorial plaque erected at the scene has been tended to by locals ever since the tragedy.

Clockwise from left: Paul Carr, Sheree Ann Lear, Belinda Brown, Ian Lilley.

The scene of the crash.

The memorial shortly after it was installed along Akers Way.

In 1992, Gloucester Crown Court heard how the accident happened after a high-speed chase which ended in what Nigel Pascoe QC called "a scene of dreadful devastation".

The prosecutor said Shaun Gooch and 23-year-old Anthony Gallagher were racing their Ford Escorts at speeds of at least 80mph on Akers Way.

Witnesses saw the two cars approaching at speed. Gooch's car changed down a gear and moved to overtake both Gallagher's XR3i and another Ford Escort waiting to turn. 

They saw the car go out of control, strike the kerb, spin and appear to become airborne before hitting the bench where the youngsters sat.

Gooch required hospital treatment after being thrown clear of his car in the crash but was not seriously hurt. Ian, Sheree and Paul died instantly. Belinda and Paula died in hospital.

Gallagher told police that the two cars had touched as Gooch overtook him.