Friends and relatives of the victims of a fatal car crash spoke of their sense of loss and left tributes where three young friends died.

Liz Carroll, 22, Richard Hornsby, 25, and James Robson, 28, died when their car plummeted from Wylam Bridge in Northumberland on Saturday night.

The pals were driving to their home village of Wylam when Liz's blue Renault Clio veered out of control, smashed through iron railings and fell 40 ft, landing on its roof on a weir.

More than 30 bouquets of flowers and a Newcastle United shirt were next to the bridge, where the twisted metal remains of the crash barrier marked where the pals' car plunged into the icy River Tyne.

One note read: "Robbie Rich, and Liz, a pleasure to know you all, rest in peace from Martin and Maxine."

Another read simply: "There are no words xxx".

Richard Hornsby's father wept and said he was too upset to speak about his family's loss.

James Robson's neighbour, George Howe, 81, who is retired, said: "He was a nice lad. We would see him in the street most days. He would always say hello.

"He had lived here his whole life.

"He was a really pleasant lad who enjoyed fishing and working on his car.

He was a bit shy but always civil."

Neighbour Pat Buckle, 73, a retired housewife, said: "I liked James very much.

He was a lovely man and I'm terribly distressed about it.

"It is an awful business.

"I have lived near his family for a long time. They must be devastated about what happened.

"He was always extremely nice and would come up in the street and say hello. He even once came over and repaired my roof for me."

A spokesman for Northumbria County Council said the council had no comment to make as to when the road was last gritted.