Friends last night paid tribute to the driver who died in an accident on a notorious stretch of country road.

Thirty-five-year-old Michael Hopper was trapped in his vehicle after the crash, on the road between Eggleston and Barnard Castle, County Durham. His two passengers were pulled clear.

Mr Hopper, a single man, of Harmire Road, Barnard Castle, was driving his two friends towards Eggleston to start work when he was involved in a crash with a car coming the other way.

His parents, Mr and Mrs Leslie Hopper, were too distraught to talk about him or the accident yesterday, but were comforted by friends who called at their home.

The three men were on their way to do casual work for a firm that hires out marquees and erects them for shows, country fairs and weddings.

Councillor Colin Bainbridge, a member of Eggleston Parish Council and of Teesdale accident prevention panel, has campaigned for more than ten years to reduce the danger on the winding, undulating stretch of road.

There was an accident in which a young woman was killed at the same spot - near a police radio mast - about two years ago, and another not far away in which a man died a few years earlier.

Coun Bainbridge, who visited the scene yesterday as police took measurements, said: "A lot of white lines have been put down to improve safety, but it is still a very nasty stretch of road.

"I know nothing about this accident so I can't comment on it, but a lot of drivers are tempted to go far too fast and are then caught out by the camber and bends.

"I have spoken out about the danger at many meetings, and Durham County Council officials have put down extra markings and white lines. But the accidents continue to happen."

Coun Bainbridge, a farmer, has had vehicles crashing repeatedly into his roadside walls at Folly Top, about a mile from the crash scene.

"There have been an average of two vehicles hitting my walls every year for the past ten years," he said.

"I just don't know what can be done now to make the road any safer."

Two injured passengers were pulled from the car as it started to burn.

The two injured men, a 21- year-old man from Barnard Castle and 39-year-old man from South Shields, were both said to be comfortable in hospital yesterday.

The driver of the other car was not badly hurt.

Someone who saw the car on fire called farmer Peter Stubbs, of Kinninvie. He rushed a mile to the scene with a fire extinguisher, but by the time he arrived the fire brigade were dealing with the blaze and had been unable to save Mr Hopper.

A friend of Mr Hopper said yesterday: "Michael was a friendly, helpful man who was always pleased to do a good turn for anyone if he could."

Another friend said: "He was a very likeable chap, who loved spending time on his computer. What he didn't know about computers wasn't worth knowing. He was always willing to pass on his knowledge."