Three dead in road crash

A Shropshire community was today mourning the death of three friends killed when the car they were travelling in burst into flames in a late-night crash.

A man and two women were killed and five others injured, two seriously, in the crash on the A495 between Whittington and Welsh Frankton on Saturday, at about 9.50pm.

Photos from the scene below

Shropshire Star video - Call for action on crash road

The families of the two women killed, both from Ellesmere, today paid tribute to them.

Corrine Thomas, of Berwyn View, was due to celebrate her 25th birthday yesterday with her partner, Daniel Batha, and their five-year-old son, Keenan, at Oswestry Truck Show. She worked as a teaching assistant at Ellesmere Primary School.

The other woman who died at the scene has been named locally as 18-year-old Kiera Smyth, who also lived in the town.

A 19-year-old man, believed to be Robert "Bob" McLoughlin, from Liverpool, also died in the crash.

Mr Batha, 26, Miss Thomas's partner of 11 years, said they had met as childhood sweethearts and did everything together.

Today he said: "She was a brilliant mum. She lived for the little lad.

"She wanted another baby and we were trying for one, she wanted a girl. She had lots of friends and everyone knew her."

He said his partner was on her way to Oswestry to celebrate her birthday with friends and her step-sister when she was killed.

Showing the card he had made for his mum's birthday, Keenan said: "I loved my mum so much and the best thing I did with her was making lots of things and we did lots of fun stuff together."

Miss Thomas's mum, Olwen Sides, said: "She was a wonderful mother, she was the big sister anybody would wish for. Keenan was her life - she was 100 per cent Keenan and Keenan was 100 per cent Corrine."

Miss Thomas went to Oswestry's Beech Grove School and The Marches School. She leaves a brother Graham, 22, and 12-year-old sister Natasha.

Miss Smyth is also believed to leave a young son. Her family declined to speak today.

A 37-year-old woman is in the Wrexham Maelor Hospital with serious injuries and a 17-year-old girl, named locally as Rachel Southgate, was in the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital's intensive care unit today. Miss Southgate is the step-sister of crash victim Miss Thomas. Both were said to be in a stable condition.

Police said a Vauxhall Corsa car containing five people was in collision with a Citroen car containing a couple and their two-year-old child. Ellesmere mayor Geoff Elner said: "I can't believe it. My thoughts and prayers are with the families."

By Anwen Evans, Abigail Bates and Deborah Collins

The scene of the crash on the A495 between Whittington and Welsh Frankton.

Flowers and a card left at the scene for Corrine Thomas.

One of the messages of condolence left at the crash scene.