OUR thoughts and sympathies go to the family of Kelly Bicknell.

Kelly was killed attempting to cross the A38 in Bromsgrove.

She had been on a night out with old school friends and was on her way home, when tragedy struck at 2am on Sunday.

The loss of any family member is hard to cope with, but to lose someone so young at Christmas will surely make it particularly hard for Kelly's relatives.

Sadly, this time of year always brings its share of tragedy.

Among the cheer, tinsel and excitement it seems there are always tales of sadness.

We don't yet know the full details of the accident which killed Kelly.

But her death should serve as a timely reminder to us all to stay safe this Christmas.

With all the fun and traditional excesses connected with this time of year, it is all too easy for us to get carried away.

We relax and, along with our inhibitions, we can lose our usual common sense.

We all know the perils of drinking and driving, but drinking and walking can be just as dangerous.

We don't know if Kelly had been drinking when she died, but according to statistics, 50 per cent of pedestrian casualties aged between 16 and 60 had been drinking at the time of their accident and more than 40 per cent were over the drink-drive limit.

It's impossible for us to imagine the pain the Bicknell family are going through this Christmas.

The message to us all is have fun, but stay safe this Christmas.

Don't let another family suffer.