TRIBUTES have been paid to an Evesham College student who died with his friend in a tragic road accident in the early hours of last Friday.

Ross Hodgkins, of Warndon, was a passenger in a car driven by his friend Richard Harvey when it hit a tree at Crown East, near Worcester, shortly after midnight.

Both teenagers were killed.

They had spent the evening visiting friends and were last seen leaving Bromyard at about 10.30pm.

Ross, who was 18, had recently started a car mechanics course at the Evesham college. He and Richard, also 18, had been friends since they met at Nunnery Wood High School in Worcester and they shared a passion for cars.

Ross was known for his sense of humour and his willingness to help people.

His mother Dawn said: "There wasn't a bad thing you could say about him."

He played football, ice hockey and golf but his main interest had always been cars.

Stephanie Morris, marketing manager at Evesham College, said: "Ross was a brand new student who had only done his induction. He had only been here for a few days, so we hadn't really got to know him, but we were looking forward to him starting the car mechanics course. Our thoughts are with his family at the time."

Ross's funeral is to be held at Worcester Crematorium at 3pm next Monday. Family flowers only, with donations to the Danesmere Animal Rescue Centre.

An inquest was opened at Stourport on Tuesday when the coroner said that both Ross and Richard died from multiple injuries.

The inquest was adjourned until a date to be fixed.