The boy who was hit by a car and died on the motorway near Hendon has been named by police.

The 13-year-old has been formally identified as Wasid Ali from Colindale.

Police investigations are continuing in to why Wasid and two friends were on the M1 when he was killed Tuesday night.

Initial police reports suggested officers had confronted a group of three boys who were seen pushing a suspected stolen moped along Colin Crescent, in The Hale.

Residents had called police with reports of the boys pushing the moped along the road.

The officers were said to have approached the youths, who ran off. It was thought the 13-year-old scaled a fence onto the M1 and was hit by a silver Seat saloon travelling north, just after 7pm.

However, a police spokeswoman later said officers arrived as all three boys were trying to cross the motorway.

Wasid was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from the London Ambulance Service. The other two suspects have not been found.

Moments after the fatal collision, the Seat car was hit from behind by a dark coloured BMW. Both drivers, a 30-year-old man and a 40-year-old man, were taken to Barnet hospital with minor injuries. One suffered a head injury and the other was hurt in the chest.

The M1 was from junctions 1 to 2 in both directions until 1am on Wednesday.

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) has been informed of the death as a matter of course and an inquiry into the incident is underway.

A spokeswoman for the Metropolitan Police Service said: "A thorough investigation is on-going to establish the circumstances surrounding how the youths came to be on the motorway."

Police are appealing for witnesses to any part of the incident to contact the MPS Directorate of Professional Standards on 020 8785 8620.