'Darling' boy killed after being run down by lorry

TRIBUTES have been paid to the "darling" five-year-old boy who died after being struck by a lorry just yards from his house.

Archie Dunbar was riding his bike with a friend in a quiet residential street in Gullane when he was struck by the large goods vehicle yesterday afternoon. He died from his injuries at the scene.

Speaking at the family home last night, his mother Michaela said: "Archie Dunbar was born on October, 24, 2004 and today he is gone. He is just gone. That is all I want to say."

Agnes Stewart, his next door neighbour in Muirfield Drive, said: "I was at the gate when the commotion got up. The police went in for his dad and his dad came out and he shouted to me to tell me that Archie was dead. He was saying 'It's Archie, he's dead, he's dead, he's dead'.

"I wasn't aware it had happened until he came out of his gate to come and tell me. He's a lovely little boy, a darling. He's often out on his bike. I always talk to him out the back, give him a biscuit or a sweet. He was a lovely wee thing."

She said the youngster, who was due to start primary two at Gullane Primary School next week, had an older brother and a younger sister.

Police accident investigators were yesterday examining the scene, where the broken remains of a child's bicycle remained beside the lorry.

After the road had been cleared, Archie's dad and older brother came out to look at the spot where he passed away.

Jonathan Dunbar - known locally as Johnny - put a comforting arm around his son as they stared at the ground.

They stood in silence and Archie's brother appeared to be fighting back tears.

Another neighbour, who did not want to be named, said: "I heard the screaming and I thought it was a dog attacking a child or something.

"We were sitting out in the back garden and I can't see for the hedge, but the lorry had come down and it had come to a stop because there was a lady washing her car and her car door was open. He wouldn't have had a chance. I think they took the man away to hospital because he was devastated."

Another neighbour, who lives in Muirfield Gardens, which looks on to where the accident happened, said: "They should have had speed bumps put in all around this area a long time ago.

The council had refused until now and look what's happened."

Inspector Colin Shillito, who was leading the investigation at the scene, said: "The large goods vehicle has collided with a five-year-old boy. He was out playing with his friend and there are two pedal cycles in the area, which does lead us to believe the two boys were riding together.

"A large vehicle coming in to collide with any human being is going to cause a tremendous amount of injury, and the child has suffered injuries that led to his death."

He added that the driver's delivery notes would form part of the investigation.

Local councillor Stuart MacKinnon said: "We are all very saddened by the news."

Archie's dad Johnny is a highly-regarded chef at a nearby award-winning restaurant.

A colleague at Ducks at Kilspindie House in East Lothian confirmed he was not at work last night. They said: "It's awfully sad and too soon after the accident to say anything."

He was educated at the Loretto School and worked his whole life as a chef at some of the UK's top eateries. He was employed between May 2004 and June 2005 as head chef at the Archerfield Links golf club. Before that he was an agency chef at Ascot Racecourse and Dell Computers' offices.

His employer, Malcolm Duck,, said "All the staff are totally devastated."