A HUSBAND and wife both died on Christmas Eve following a tragic car crash in Cropthorne, near Pershore.

Michael and Helen Osborne from Weston Subedge, near Chipping Campden, died after their red Audi A4 collided with a tree on the B4084 between Smokey Lane and Haselor Lane.

The car went out of control and narrowly missed a red Peugeot 206 coming in the opposite direction before crashing at about 1.55pm on Tuesday, December 24.

Mrs Osborne, aged 45, died at the scene and Mr Osborne, aged 49, was airlifted to Selly Oak Hospital in Birmingham with multiple injuries, from which he later died.

The couple's death sent shock waves around the whole village. Although they had only lived in Weston Subedge for five years, they made a huge impression on village life.

Mr Osborne was due to take the lead in the village pantomime Beauty and the Beast in January, and Mrs Osborne had designed the programme. tickets and posters for the sell-out show.

Producer, and parish council chairperson, Mary Knight said: "We are devastated but felt Mike would have said: 'The show must go on.' He was such a dynamic and outgoing person." Helen's brother, Rob Donkin from Solihull, who the couple where going to spend some time with on Christmas Day, said: "It's a terrible blow to the whole family. Michael and Helen had no children themselves but were greatly loved by their nephews and nieces."

The couple's funeral is to take place at St Lawrence's Church, Weston Subedge on Monday, January 6, at 2.30pm. The family have requested no flowers, but donations to go to the Stroke Association, British Diabetic Association and Breast Cancer Care.

PC Adrian Maiden of West Mercia Police's operational response unit in Pershore wants to hear from anyone who can help with the investigation and can be contacted on 08457 444888, quoting c/653280.

An inquest into the deaths of the couple was opened and adjourned to a date to be fixed on Tuesday.