The plea was issued following reports that young people have been throwing logs, branches and stones onto some of the busiest roads in the area, placing motorists, workers and themselves at risk. The incidents took place in the South, Central and Daresbury expressways in Runcorn; and one report to have occurred on an overhead bridge.

Hugh O'Connor, General Manager of Merseylink, appealed to parents to talk to their children about the dangers involved in throwing objects onto roads. "Youngsters probably don't realise the impact they could have by throwing something as small or insignificant as a stone, but it could prove fatal", said Hugh.

"They think they are just having fun, but the truth of the matter is that a small brick thrown from a bridge of 7m could weigh the same as a large car and could prove lethal to motorists passing underneath or contractors working nearby."

The bridge construction works are currently underway and the road network around the area is undergoing vast improvements, with some major diversions and lane closures for motorists. The Mersey Gateway Bridge is scheduled to open in 2017, improving the links between the towns of Runcorn and Widnes on both sides of the river Mersey.