Girlfriend's tribute to crash victim

The girlfriend of one of three people who died in a Shropshire road crash has paid an emotional tribute to him.

Robert McLoughlin, 19, died when his car collided with another and burst into flames on the A495 between Whittington and Welsh Frankton on Saturday night.

He died alongside friends Kiera Smyth, 18, who was known as Kiera McKay while at school, and Corrine Thomas, 24, both from Ellesmere.

Posting on social networking internet site Bebo, his girlfriend Bekah Roberts said: "This lad was the most amazing person I have ever met. He meant everything to me."

"We had a future together, plans. Now that's all been taken away from us. He meant the world to me. He was my everything."

"My heart has been crushed into tiny little pieces, miss you, love you forever," she added.

"My whole world shattered!! I'm nothing without him."

Miss Roberts was too distressed to talk today.

Robert was a former pupil of the Lakelands School in Ellesmere but he was living in Liverpool at the time of the accident.

Two other women injured in the crash remained seriously ill in hospital today.

Rachel Southgate, 17, from Aberystwyth, was described as being in a "critical but stable" condition at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital.

A 37-year-old woman was taken to the Wrexham Maelor Hospital. She was said to be in a stable condition yesterday afternoon.

Miss Southgate was the step-sister of 24-year-old Corrine Thomas.

Police spokesman Richard Ewels said post mortem examinations were due to be carried out on the three victims today and an inquest was expected to be opened tomorrow or Thursday.

The friends were on their way to Oswestry to celebrate Miss Thomas's birthday when the Vauxhall Corsa they were travelling in collided with a Citroen containing a couple and their two-year-old child and burst into flames.

Miss Thomas, who worked as a teaching assistant at Ellesmere Primary School, was due to celebrate her 25th birthday on Sunday.

She was yesterday described by her partner Robert Batha, 26, as a "brilliant mum" to five-year-old Keenan.

Miss Smyth and Mr McLoughlin were both former pupils of the Lakelands School in Ellesmere.

Headmaster Ian Sanders yesterday said the school community had been left "devastated" by their deaths.

He said they were "popular students who had their whole lives ahead of them".

Mr Sanders said staff would be doing all that they could to support the students at the school during the difficult time.

He said: "The whole of the school community is devastated by the news and our thoughts are with the family, relatives and friends of the people who were killed and seriously injured in the accident."

"Even though Kiera and Rob left a little while ago, Kiera's brother, who leaves this year, is still in school, and there are still students in school who remember them both. We will be doing all that we can to support the students in school during this difficult time."

Police have launched an appeal for witnesses. Anyone with information can contact police on 08457 444888.