Mother's tribute to V crash son

Andrew Lucas died at the scene of the M25 crash

A mother whose son was one of three people from Kent killed in a crash on the way home from a music festival has said her life will never be the same.

Joyce Allum's son, Andrew Lucas, 21, died in the early hours of Monday on the M25 in Essex as he travelled home from the V Festival in Staffordshire.

Mr Lucas, Paul Smith, 26, and Joanna Walker, 18, all from Maidstone, were declared dead at the scene.

"He was a lovely boy - he always helped me, was always there," said Ms Allum.

Serious injuries

The three were among six festival-goers travelling in a people carrier which left the motorway and went down an embankment.

The woman driver was trapped in the car for an hour and suffered serious injuries.

Another woman, believed to be in her late teens, suffered a broken arm and is stable. Both women remain in Darent Valley Hospital in Dartford, Kent.

A man, in his 20s, is stable and is at Oldchurch Hospital in Romford, Essex.

Ms Allum said when the police told her about her son's death she could not believe it.

Joyce Allum said her life would never be the same again

"Things like this you never think are true," she said.

"I had to go to hospital in Romford to identify him, which was one of the most difficult things I have done in my entire life."

Friends have told her Mr Lucas loved the festival.

She is also drawing comfort from a letter from another of her son's friends, which said: "It is impossible to put into words how much he will be missed."

An inquest into the three dead passengers has opened and adjourned.

Post-mortem examinations are expected to be held later this week.

The Metropolitan Police force is appealing for witnesses to the crash. It is not thought any other vehicle was involved.