TRIBUTES have been paid to to a former mayoress of Worcester who died in a car crash.

Aubrey Tarbuck and his wife Anne Tarbuck, 88, were involved in a crash on the A458 at Harley, near Much Wenlock at 3.10pm on Thursday afternoon.

Mrs Tarbuck was taken to Royal Stoke University Hospital in a critical condition but has now died from her injuries.

The former mayor is at Shrewsbury Royal Hospital with four broken ribs.

Mr Tarbuck served as mayor in 2005 and was first elected as a Conservative councillor at Worcester City Council in 1966.

Deputy leader of Worcester City Council, Cllr Marc Bayliss said: "I have worked with Aubrey for well over a decade at the council.

"I am very sad to hear about this tragic crash. I knew his wife and she was a lovely woman.

"My sympathies are with Aubrey and his whole family."

Cllr Roger Knight, a former mayor of Worcester added: "My sympathies are with Aubrey and his family after this tragedy."

Mrs Tarbuck lived in Hallow during the later part of her life.

She was the inspiration in Mr Tarbuck picking Worcester Eye Unit as one of his three chosen charities for funding in 2005, revealing that she could have faced blindness without their support.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: "On arrival, ambulance staff found a car and 4×4 with significant front end damage.  There were two people in each vehicle.

“In the car there were an elderly couple.

"The woman suffered multiple serious injuries.

"She was anaesthetised at the scene before being airlifted to the major trauma centre at Royal Stoke University Hospital in a critical condition.

“There was a father and daughter in the 4×4. The young child had suffered head and chest injuries. She was airlifted to Birmingham Children’s Hospital."

The crash happened approximately 400 yards north of the Plume of Feathers restaurant and involved a silver Volvo estate travelling towards Shrewsbury and a silver Audi Q5 travelling towards Harley Bank.

Police urge anyone who witnessed the crash, or anybody who saw the manner in which the vehicles were being driven beforehand, to contact them on 101, quoting incident number is 415s of October 26.