A FIREFIGHTER and his colleague's son have been killed in a horrific motorbike smash near Malvern.

Kevin Taylor, a retained firefighter at Malvern Fire Station, and his pillion passenger Mark Hitchins, son of leading retained firefighter John Hitchins, were pronounced dead at the scene on Saturday.

The pair, on a 600cc Yahama machine, were in a head-on collision with a Renault Clio at around 8.15pm, on a country lane at Hall Green, between Madresfield and the Guarlford and Barnards Green roads. Both were from the Malvern area.

Mr Taylor's devastated colleagues from Malvern were scrambled to the scene, along with the emergency tender from Worcester.

A female passenger in the Clio had to be cut free. She was taken to Worcestershire Royal Hospital for treatment, but the extent of her injuries was not yet known as the Evening News went to press.

The Clio driver has been named by West Mercia police as Clifford Shouler.

He was also taken to hospital but no more information was available about his condition.

A fire brigade spokeswoman said that 28-year-old Mr Taylor, who had been a retained firefighter for 17 months, was not on duty at the time and was not responding to "a shout".

She said that his colleagues across the county were devastated by the news and were trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

Malvern Station Officer Steve Fellows, who worked closely with Mr Taylor and Mr Hitchins' father, said it had been a "terrible day".

"The whole fire brigade is extremely upset, particularly those who worked with Mr Taylor at Malvern," said Alec Mackie, spokesman for Hereford and Worcester Fire Brigade.

"Naturally, those colleagues who attended the scene of the accident on Saturday night were very, very distressed.

"We feel for their families and colleagues in this tragedy that has befallen them."