A COMMUNITY was in mourning last night for two young fathers killed in a car smash.

The tightly-knit village of West Cornforth, in County Durham, was rocked by news that the two dads - best friends since childhood and who lived one street apart - had died in the head-on crash.

Andrew Keith Fairley, 20, and Alan Nicholson, 24, were killed when the car they were in collided with a prison van on Thursday night.

Last night, friends and family turned their thoughts to two little boys who will now grow up without their dads.

Mr Fairley became a father four months ago to a son, Kyle, and Mr Nicholson had a two-year-old son, Callum.

Mr Fairley, of Cedar Terrace, was driving his Ford Fiesta north on the A688 when the accident happened about half a mile south of Bowburn Services, between Tursdale and Bowburn, at about 7pm.

Police believe the car veered onto the wrong side of the road and ploughed into a Leyland Daf van travelling in the opposite direction.

Mr Fairley and Mr Nicholson, of Poplar Terrace, were pronounced dead at the scene.

Yesterday, the men's families were being comforted by friends and relatives.

Sedgefield Borough Councillor for the Cornforth ward Alan Hodgson said: "The village is stunned by it.

"It is just awful that such young lads, with their whole lives in front of them, have lost their lives.

"My thoughts, and I'm sure those of everyone in the village, are with both lads' parents and grandparents at this painful time."

A neighbour said: "It's just horrible, especially as both have little kiddies. Andrew and Alan were good friends, the best of mates who were always out and about together.

"The lads and their families have lived in Cornforth a long time, so everyone is devastated for them."

Teachers at the young men's former schools were said to be stunned.

Both had been pupils at West Cornforth Primary School and Spennymoor Comprehensive School and, despite being in different year groups, they had been friends throughout that time.

Ken Hall, headteacher at Spennymoor School, said: "The school knows the families well and many staff have fond memories of both boys.

"We are very saddened to hear of this news and our sympathies and thoughts are with the two families."

Two staff from security firm Global Solutions Limited were trapped in the prison van wreckage for some time before firefighters were able to cut them free.

The front seat passenger in the van, which had no prisoners on board as it was returning to a depot, sustained multiple fractures to both legs and the driver suffered less serious injuries.

Inquests into the deaths of Mr Fairley and Mr Nicholson, who worked for Breezemount Transport Ltd, in Spennymoor, are expected to be opened in the next few days.

Police, who closed the road until midnight, are appealing for witnesses to the incident to contact Durham Constabulary's accident investigation unit on 0191-375 2159.