Parents pay tribute to tragic Eluned

Aug 9 2006 Wirral News

THE devastated parents of a teenager killed on her way home from an 18th birthday party have paid tribute to their daughter.

Artstudent Eluned Cleverley, 18, died when she was hit by aparkedcar that had been shunted into her by avan in Seabank Road, Wallasey, at 1.50am on Saturday.

Eluned, who was known as "Nin", had just finished her A-levels at West Kirby Grammar School and next month was to start an art and design course at West Cheshire College in Ellesmere Port.

Her parents, who live in BarnHey, Meols, described Eluned as their "beau-tiful, talented daughter".

Her mother, Ann, 51, asystems analyst, and father, Edward, 58, whoworks forafood processing plant, said, like many parents, they acted as a "taxi service" fortheir teenage daughter but on this occasion could not pick her up when she rang home just 20 minutes before she was killed.

Mrs Cleverley said: "Eluned had gone to an 18th birthdayparty and left the house at 4pm.

"I wasn't worried about her. She rang at 1.30am and she asked for a lift, but we had had acouple of glasses of wine at home and we didn't feel it was right for us to drive.

"We said, 'No we can't come to get you tonight'. She said she would go to a friend's house to order a taxi and she said 'I love you mum'.

"She was a beautiful, beautiful girl. "Eluned had done everything right. She kept in touch with us all evening and told us what she was doing and where she was."

Mr Cleverley added: "I used to take them all over and pickEluned and her friends up from all across Wirral, and this once I didn't.

"Normally, when she rang Ihad just got to sleepand, when Ihad wokenup properly, would go to get her. We have been the most conscientious parents. We always would go and get her and run her friends home.

"On this one occasion, when we didn't go this happens. It is just unbelievable."

Mrs Cleverley said: "I woke up at

3.30am and realised she wasn't home. I rang her mobile a number of times and was panicking.

"At3.58 Isent her atext saying, 'Sick with worry. Ring us immediately'.

"I couldn't sleep. I went downstairs and was just sitting therewhen Isaw a car coming. I thought it was Eluned's taxi but it was the police.

Eluned was hit by an unoccupied Ford Puma in Seabank Road. The parked car had been hit by a white Mercedes Sprinter van.

It is thought Eluned died instantly from massive injuries.

A friend with her, a 20-year-old man, suffered minor injuries and is recovering in hospital.

Mrs Cleverley added: "She was a lovely, lovely girl ."

Thecouple have another daughter, Carys, 13.