'Two families have had their hearts ripped out'

Jack Varney, 19, and Rhys Roberts, 21, were killed in a crash on the A4130 at Hadden Hill, during the early hours of Monday.

The Peugeot 306 was travelling from Wallingford to Didcot when it hit a wall at the side of the road and burst into flames.

The two men, both from Didcot, were declared dead at the scene.

Mr Varney was a father-of-one and worked as an electrician.

His aunt Kerry Frampton, 52, also from Didcot, said: “Jack was very well liked.

“He loved his family, his mum and dad Dawn and Pete Varney, and his sisters Joanna, 28, and Lizzie, 23.

“He loved his daughter Lily-Mae, and his girlfriend Natalie Poole is also devastated.

“Jack was a happy-go-lucky chap and two families have had their hearts ripped out.

“He had worked as an electrician but wanted to go in the Army and had an interview on Friday.”

After friends paid tribute to Mr Roberts and Mr Varney on Facebook, town council leader Margaret Davies said: “What happened has been a shock to the whole community – it’s such a terrible waste of young lives.”

Charity worker Clifford Oakes worked with Mr Roberts, and said the whole of the town had been shocked by the deaths.

Mr Oakes, who raises funds for charities with the Thong Rangers group, worked as a binman with Mr Roberts.

The 48-year-old from Didcot, said: “This has devastated the whole community. They were both happy-go-lucky young men who lived their lives to the full.

“You couldn’t help but like him – he was cheeky and charming and had a lot of friends.”

County councillor for Moreton Patrick Greene said he had seen people laying flowers at the scene yesterday.

He added: “I pushed for the 40mph limit and I recently asked for another ‘slow’ sign to be put up close to the house where the accident happened, which drivers would see as they go from Wallingford to Didcot.”

A spokesman for Oxford coroner’s office said no inquest into the two deaths has yet been opened.