Crash victim's family pay tribute

Ryan Bott, 20, played football for a local team

The father of one of seven victims who died in a head-on collision between two cars in Gloucestershire has paid tribute to his "caring" son.

Ryan Bott, 20, of Milton under Wychwood, near Chipping Norton, Oxfordshire, died along with three other occupants of a Peugeot car.

The vehicle collided with a VW Passat between Moreton in Marsh and Stow on the Wold on Friday night.

Richard Bott said his son "made friends wherever he went".

Mr Bott, 50, said Ryan lived with him at home along with his mother Valerie, 54, and 18-year-old sister Vicky.

He had recently begun working as a window cleaner.

"He worked for his best mate at a little business in Banbury and had done so for about a year," Mr Bott told the BBC News website.

He was caring and sensitive Richard Bott

"He would have turned 21 in July.

"He was a fun-loving guy, just a really really nice chap," he continued. "He was caring and sensitive."

Ryan loved to play football every Saturday for local team Enstone, Mr Bott said.

"They cancelled yesterday's game as a mark of respect," he added.

Ryan, who had attended Chipping Norton School, also had three adult step-siblings, Laura, Clint and Ben.

Mr Bott said he was angry at certain media reports, which he felt had put a bad slant on his son.

"He was just like any 20-year-old who likes a good laugh," he added.

Critical condition

The driver of the Peugeot car in which Ryan Bott was a passenger, had a conviction for drink driving, it is believed.

The man has been named locally as Jason Brain, 35.

The cars involved in the collision crashed head-on as the Peugeot tried to overtake another car, Gloucestershire Police said.

Two children, aged nine and 10, remain in a critical condition. Their grandparents and 34-year-old aunt, who were all in the Passat, all died.

The crash was described by police as one of the "worst ever" collisions in the county.

Neither of the female occupants of the car that was overtaken was hurt.