Police are urgently seeking witnesses after a 10-year-old boy died in a collision on the M3 on Friday night.

Hampshire Constabulary's newly-formed Road Death Investigation Team is urging any motorists who witnessed the crash which killed Joshua Whitaker to come forward.

Joshua, from Bacup, in Lancashire, died after his mother's green Skoda Felicia was struck by a silver blue Honda Jazz as it queued in traffic between Junctions 5 and 4 of the northbound carriageway at around 5pm.

A car fire on the carriageway is believed to have resulted in the tailback. Mrs Whitaker and two other children in the car were also injured in the collision and were taken to the North Hampshire Hospital, Basingstoke. The family had been travelling home after a holiday in Dorset.

The driver of the Honda was arrested at the scene on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving and has been released on bail.

Although the motorway was busy in both directions at the time of the collision, no witnesses have come forward to help police with their enquiries.

Pleading for help from motorists, Sergeant Richard Parsons, leading the crash enquiry, said: "I cannot believe that nobody saw this happen. The motorway was extremely busy with traffic at the time of this incident, yet no-one has come forward who directly witnessed it.

"Cars appear to have travelled past without stopping or realising the severity of what happened. It is vital that anyone who saw anything should come forward."

The Road Death Investigation Team is anxious to hear from anyone travelling north on the M3 who may have seen the collision.

* Anyone with information should call the RDIT at Lyndhurst police station, on 0845 045 45 45, or directly on 02380 674263.