FRIENDS and family have been paying tribute to a lifelong Warminster resident killed in a car crash in December.

Joe Northeast, 54, died in a two-vehicle collision near the junction with Feltham Lane in Frome on December 17. The 7pm crash on the A361 saw the road closed while police recovered the cars.

Mr Northeast, who lived in Princecroft Lane, was a self-employed car mechanic and a keen gardener in his spare time. Although he was a quiet man he had many friends in the town and was a regular figure in the Fox and Hounds pub in Deverill Road.

Joan Haines, his partner of 30 years, was pleased to see a large attendance at his funeral service at Haycombe Crematorium in Bath on Monday. Afterwards people made their way to the Fox and Hounds for his wake.

Ms Haines said: "Joe said he had the perfect life. He was just very well liked and was a lovely man.

"It's just so terribly tragic that he's gone."

Neighbour Richard Steer had known him since they were at school together and said Mr Northeast had often helped him when he had had financial problems.

He said: "If I was ever short of money he would always lend me some, I only had to ask. He was quite an old fashioned man and loved his garden."

Warminster councillor John Syme was in the same class as Mr Northeast at Kingdown School and kept in touch with him since then.

He said: "My sympathies go out to the family, I shall certainly miss him. They say the good go too early, it was a real shock."