TWO men died when their car hit a wall and burst into flames at an accident blackspot yesterday.

Tributes have poured in for Rhys Roberts and Jack Varney, thought to be in their 20s, after they died at the scene of the crash on the A4130, just east of Didcot, at about 3.40am yesterday.

Accident investigators are appealing for witnesses following the crash near Hadden Hill Garage.

Their blue Peugeot 306 was travelling from Wallingford towards Didcot when it crashed into a brick wall outside a house and caught fire.

Tributes from friends have been posted on Facebook and Twitter, and flowers were laid at the scene.

Alwyn Richards, the headteacher of Didcot’s St Birinus School, said: “Staff and students at St Birinus were very shocked and extremely saddened to hear about the tragic deaths of the two young men, Rhys and Jack, in the road accident earlier today. As ex-students of the school, our thoughts are very much with their families at this difficult and sad time.”

Mark Bradley, 55, lives with wife Lynn, 49, and three children at the four-bedroom detached house where the accident happened.

Mr Bradley, who runs Primefit Windows in Didcot, said: “We heard a thud and rushed outside and saw the car had crashed through the wall.

“The car exploded as it hit the drive and was absolutely ablaze. You couldn’t get anywhere near it.

“It’s a terrible tragedy for the families of these two young men. I think they were 20 and 21.

“We tried to clear up as much of the debris as possible before the families arrived with flowers.”

The A4130 at Hadden Hill has a poor safety record. Following the death of Shane Vaughan, 19, in a crash on Christmas Day 2006, the speed limit was reduced from 50mph to 40mph.

A businessman working close to the crash site, who asked not be named, said there was a head-on collision two months ago, outside Hadden Hill Garage, that resulted in a woman being airlifted to hospital with a broken leg.

Mr Bradley added: “The road is absolutely lethal and even though it’s a 40mph zone you get motorbikes coming through at 100mph.

“The speed limit would be low enough if people stuck to it, but it’s definitely time to review the safety measures.”

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police last night said the men who died had not been formally identified.

South Central Ambulance Service spokesman James Keating-Wilkes said : “The car left the road, hit a wall and burst into flames.”

Oxfordshire Fire & Rescue Service incident commander Bob Speakman was in charge of 10 firefighters from Didcot who tried to save the men.

He said: “The car came over Hadden Hill but the driver lost control and hit a wall side-on and that caused the car to burst into flames.

“We arrived within seven minutes of getting the call and the car was engulfed in flames.

“We put the fire out and removed the roof and the doors of the vehicle.

“The wall had a hole in it, so there must have been a considerable impact.

“Our thoughts are now with the families following this tragic accident.”

The road was closed between the junction with Long Wittenham Road and the B4016 while police conducted the accident investigation. It was reopened at about 9am yesterday.

In 1992, a birthday celebration ended in tragedy when Gary Jennings, 19, from Didcot, died in a crash on the A4130 near the entrance to Hadden Hill Golf Club, after an Austin Metro carrying eight people overturned.

Any witnesses can call police on 101 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555111.