William Brown: Father’s appeal after son, seven, killed in hit-and-run

A father has appealed for the driver who killed his seven-year-old son in a hit-and-run in Kent to hand themselves in to police. William Brown was confirmed dead at the scene following a collision on Sandgate Esplanade in Folkestone at about 5.35pm on Wednesday. His father, also called William Brown, said his son had been collecting his football.

He asked for help from witnesses in an emotional video appeal filmed in the youngster’s bedroom, which was shared with KentOnline. “If you have any information at all, any inklings, or anything you saw when you drove past, or anything at all, will you please reach out to Kent Police so we can work out what happened to our son,” he said, while holding his son’s football shirt. “And if it was you that done it, William Jnr was a beautiful boy and he believed in forgiveness and love, and peace and we already forgive you.

“If it’s you, if you’re feeling guilty, but we really need to know so we can lay our son in peace and know what happened to him.”

Police want to hear from anyone who may have seen an unidentified car or van leave the scene. Dashcam footage is being sought, too. The crash, at the junction with Prospect Road, also involved a red Citroen car.

The unidentified vehicle left the scene in the direction of Hythe, and was gone before the emergency services arrived, Kent Police said.