POLICE investigating the hit-run death in Bolton of a 44-year-old mother of two are examining a car they believe may have struck her down.

Detectives are still hunting driver who failed to stop after hitting Laura Entwistle at 3am on Saturday.

A stolen Rover 200 was found burnt out in Farnworth on Saturday morning, but is so badly damaged it will be some time before forensic tests can say whether it was involved in Mrs Entwistle's death.

Tests on fragments of headlight glass found at the crash scene have revealed that the car was probably a Rover 200 or 400 series built between 1989 and 1996 and bearing a registration between F and P.

Mrs Entwistle's eldest son Rob, aged 20, yesterday pleaded for anyone with information to come forward and paid an emotional tribute to his mother.

"She was amazing," he said. "The best mum anyone could ever have.

"She helped everyone she came across. She was perfect. She was always happy - always out with a crowd of people having a laugh and a joke."

At the time of the accident, Rob was working as a night porter at the Holiday Inn on Beaumont Road, where his mother worked as a chambermaid.

Mrs Entwistle and her youngest son, Aaron, aged 17, had been at a friend's party at the Rumworth pub on Wigan Road.

She had left the pub to cross the road and walk the 100 yards to her home.

Rob said his brother, who was there as paramedics attempted to save his mum, had been particularly badly affected by the tragedy.

"All of us are lost," he said. "We are wandering around and we don't know what we are doing."

Clutching the hand of his uncle, Mrs Entwistle's brother Alfie Costello, Rob said he could not understand how the driver could not have come forward.

"I just can't believe anyone could hold something like that in," he said. "They are heartless. That is the only thing I can think of."

Rob and Aaron lived with their mother in their terraced home in Wigan Road. Rob said they could not even begin to deal with their grief until the driver is found.

No funeral can be held until the police investigation is complete.

Det Insp Paul Hitchen of Bolton CID, who is leading the investigation, said it was only a matter of time before the driver was found, and appealed to them to come forward voluntarily.

"You didn't set out to kill someone that day," he said. "This was a spontaneous accident and I am prepared to accept that.

"But you did kill someone, and it is important that you now come forward.

"And if you were in the vehicle but were not the driver, you have nothing to fear by coming forward."

Police say they hope tests on the crash debris will provide more details of the vehicle, which was travelling at considerably more than the 30mph speed limit.

There were no skid marks on the road, indicating that the driver did not even brake when hitting Mrs Entwistle. Her body was found near a bus stop 60 metres from where she was hit.

Anyone with information is asked to contact CID at Astley Bridge on 0161 856 5740 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.