A MOTHER and stepfather paid tribute to their daughter as they left Christmas decorations at the site where she died in a road crash.

Carol and Gary Muir, of Stockton, had previously decorated an entire tree on Leyburn Road, in Catterick in memory of their soldier daughter, Codie Richardson, who died at the scene on February 1 this year, aged 20.

However the Army has taken the tributes away and cut down three trees at the site, to make way for a garden in memory of Pte Richardson and her comrade, Trooper Mark McKeen, 23, from Northern Ireland, who also died.

Trooper McKeen had been driving a Seat Ibiza at 83mph in the 40mph zone when he lost control of the car and hit two trees, tearing the vehicle in two.

Tpr McKeen died immediately. Pte Richardson, a Royal Dragoon guard, was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital but died two hours later. The pair had only known each other a few weeks and were just friends.

Mrs Richardson explained the Army had contacted the family asking for permission to create a memorial area complete with benches and both her family and Trooper McKeen's had agreed. However the family, who return to the scene at least once a fortnight, were surprised when all the memorabilia, including poems, wind chimes and images of butterflies were removed the very next day.

"They kept everything for us and we're going to have a memorial to Codie in our garden, we even took twigs from the tree," said Mrs Richardson of Norton, near Stockton. "This place is very important. We come here more than the cemetery, come rain or shine. I know Mark's family send flowers once a month too. I will always come here to be with Codie.

"We are going away for Christmas. We can't bear to stay. We have no decorations at home.

"Codie's sisters who have children are staying, but the rest of us are going to Tenerife. We just can't face Christmas here."

Mr and Mrs Richardson tied some Christmas decorations and flowers on a fence on the opposite side of the road. The message on the flowers read: 'Miss you more than words can say.'

Many tributes have been paid to Pte Richardson's sense of fun and happiness. She was born in Stockton and was brought up in the Bluehall area by her mum and stepdad, Gary Muir. Her natural father, Mark Richardson, was aged 39 when he was stabbed and killed in 2002 when he tried to intervene after finding two men chasing a teenager.