THE family of a man who died with his two young children in a car crash on a French motorway said their lives had been "torn apart" by the incident and "will never be the same again".

John Crompton, 31, and his son Morgan Lund, nine, and daughter Evie-Lily Crompton, four, were killed in a crash on the A39 near Beaurepaire-en-Bresse, which is between Lyon and Dijon, shortly after 7am on Sunday.

Another son, Kyle, two, remains seriously ill in hospital, along with the dead children's mother, Makayla Lund, 25.

All are from Hartlepool.

A statement released on behalf of the family said: "A devastating tragedy has left our family heartbroken forever. Our lives have been torn apart and will never be the same again.

"We have lost the heart of our family. As a family we ask for our privacy to be respected at this extremely difficult time."

The Northern Echo:

John Crompton - killed in crash

On Monday, the head of Barnard Grove Primary School in Hartlepool, where Evie and Morgan were pupils, said the school was "in total shock" after hearing of the deaths.

The Northern Echo:

Lee Walker said: "Morgan was a Year 4 pupil who was an extremely popular member of his class, as well as the school in general.

"His sense of humour, fun and positive attitude brought life and joy to all. Morgan took great pride in his work and was an outstanding sportsman with many other talents as well."

Mr Walker said Evie-Lily, who was in the school's nursery, was the "most kind-hearted and caring girl you could ever wish to meet".

He added: "Her beaming smile lit up our nursery every single day.

"She was always willing to go out of her way to help others and had lots of friends.

"The pupils and staff are heartbroken and we are all helping each other to come to terms with this devastating news.

"Our prayers and thoughts are with the family at this time."

Cleveland Police said specially-trained family liaison officers were supporting both Hartlepool families and helping French authorities with their inquiries into the collision, as well as liaising with colleagues from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

It is understood Morgan and Evie-Lily were thrown from the car and died instantly, while Mr Crompton, who was driving, died of a cardiac arrest minutes after he was released from the wreckage. Two air ambulances were called to the scene and injured Kyle was flown to hospital in Lyon.

The family were thought to be on holiday as they headed south on the A39 motorway towards Bourg-en-Bresse.

Pictures showed a badly mangled family Nissan which was ripped apart after hitting a safety barrier.

An investigator told a TV channel the reason for the car hitting the barrier was as yet unknown, but it could have been caused by the driver falling asleep or being distracted.

The Northern Echo:

Mr Crompton was a member of the Hartlepool Billiards and Snooker Facebook page and was understood to be a talented snooker player.

Jeff Dickson wrote that Mr Crompton was "a man who held the same things in life close to his heart as I do. Family, Hartlepool United and a game of snooker and billiards with his mates down the club on a Monday and Wednesday night."

He added: "Just hope his missus and his bairn pull through for him. God bless big guy. Pot a few long uns up there."

Marc Wallace, of Middlesbrough, said: "Thoughts and prayers go out to both families. John was a larger than life character, the life and soul of any party, a great friend and doting father.

"I will miss you my friend."

The Northern Echo:

Several GoFundMe pages have been set up for Ms Lund and Mr Crompton's families. One of those at //www.gofundme.com/2tfvgskc has raised more than £2,500.