Woman critical after Italy crash

The crash took place in the evening near a tunnel exit

A 62-year-old woman is in a critical condition in hospital after a motorbike crash in northern Italy that killed her husband and two other Britons.

Fay Vercoe, of West Kingsdown, Kent, suffered multiple fractures in Tuesday night's crash in Mezzolombardo.

Her husband Michael Vercoe, 66, died with Colin Morrish, 63, from Rochester, and his partner Wendy Pointer, 60.

News agency Ansa said they had been on two bikes which had been in collision with a lorry.

The accident took place near a new tunnel, which has a dual carriageway inside but switches to single lanes outside.

'Wrong side'

According to Italian government officials, it happened at about 1900 local time (1800 BST) as the motorcycles were leaving the tunnel.

A spokesman said: "Witnesses saw the two bikes on the wrong side of the road."

The lorry driver was also taken to hospital but was not thought to be seriously injured.

A Foreign Office spokesman said consular assistance was being provided to the families involved.

Colin was leader of the pack - he would make sure we all rode safely, he would lead the way James Dixon

James Dixon, from Hoo, near Rochester, knows the four friends and had been due to go on the biking holiday with them, but had to pull out.

He said news of the crash had left him devastated, and he could not understand how it could have happened to such experienced bikers.

"Colin was leader of the pack - he would make sure we all rode safely, he would lead the way," he told BBC Radio Kent.

"I can't understand why he would be on the wrong side of the road unless he got confused or the road signs were not very clear."

He added that Mr Morrish, who owns a bike shop in Rochester, was a very competent rider.

"The bike he was riding had actually done 120,000 miles - this big Venture Royale - it was a huge motorcycle."

Mr Dixon says his friend Colin Morrish, who died in Italy, had travelled thousands of miles across Europe on his bike