A MUM of five was killed when she was hit by a bus she tried to stop after a night out.

Julie Sykes, 41, put her hand out to hail the bus after going out with friends in Bolton, but it hit her.

Her three friends, one of whom is a nurse, tried desperately to help Julie, but she died from her injuries on the way to hospital.

Just the day before, the devoted mum had been buying Christmas presents for her husband Tony and their children, Lilly, 19, Syreeta, 18, Chelsea, 12, Phoebe, ten and eight-year-old Anthony.

Julie had left the youngsters with their father while she returned to their old home in Little Lever to spend the weekend Christmas shopping and catching up with her pals.

Tony dashed to Bolton when he was told of the accident by a friend. Later the news that Julie had died was broken to the children.

Her heartbroken daughter Lilly said: ''If she had been ill, we might have expected it. But being hit by a bus, just waiting at the stop, it was such a shock.

''Anthony doesn't understand. He says, 'mummy is with the angels now'. Chelsea, Phoebe and their cousin Loretta have gone to light a candle in church for her. Dad is heartbroken. I can't believe she has gone.''

Tony and Julie met through friends in Kent and married 20 years ago. Julie was overjoyed when she gave birth to a son, the last of their five children.

She was a loving, caring mum, who raised everybody's spirits with her fun-loving nature, said Lilly

''You could be really miserable and sick, but mum would always be able to make you laugh,'' Lilly said. ''Everybody loved her, the whole community, she was so nice, with never a wrong word for anyone. We have had so many calls from people.

''Mum was a joker. She loved dancing and she was a good singer on the karaoke. She loved Rod Stewart, Sade, Paul Weller and even Eminem. When she was younger she was a punk rocker with her hair all colours.''

Julie's father Donald Hemmingway is flying over from his home in Tenerife to be with the devastated family and his other two daughters, Tracy and Jane. Lilly added: ''I don't feel angry that mum has gone. It must have been meant to be. That was how she brought us up."

The driver of the 34-seater bus was arrested shortly after the accident, on Market Street, Little Lever, at 12.15am on Saturday.

It us understood that he went home after his shift unaware his bus had hit Julie a glancing blow and that she had then gone under the wheels.

Greater Manchester Police would like any witnesses to contact them on 872 5050.

Tweet