Man jailed for killing lorry driver in M6 crash

Cliff Tamou was killed in a crash on the M6 in February

A man has been jailed after he admitted killing a lorry driver in a crash on the M6 in Staffordshire.

Cliff Tamou, from Wigan, got out of his HGV after it broke down between junctions 15 and 16, near Stoke-on-Trent, on 27 February.

He died when a car, a Toyota Avensis, driven by 22-year-old Ghulam Haider, crashed into the lorry shortly before 22:00 GMT that night.

Haider, of North Street, Dudley, was jailed for nine years and four months at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Friday after pleading guilty last month to causing death by dangerous driving.

He will also be banned from driving for five years when he is released from prison.

Ch Insp Scot McGrath, of Staffordshire Police, said officers' thoughts remained with Mr Tamou's family.

"This is a tragic case of a completely avoidable death on our roads which has left a family without their loved one," he added.

Ghulam Haider has been jailed for nine years and four months

Mr Tamou, 58, was a rugby player, coach and referee who moved to the UK from New Zealand more than 30 years ago.

Following his death, his family described him as a devoted husband, father to six children and grandfather to five grandchildren.

In a post on X, Salford Red Devils Women's squad said Mr Tamou was an "avid supporter" of the side, for which his daughter played.