THE grieving son of a Kidderminster widow who was killed when she was struck by a lorry while crossing a busy road in the town has spoken about his "amazing mum".

Patricia White, 65, of Clifton Road, Birchen Coppice was crossing the A456 Bewdley Road near its junction with Proud Cross Ringway when she was in collision with the Scania lorry, which was not pulling a trailer, last Thursday at 11.10am.

Her son, Barney White, 39, said his mother, who used to work for social services as a carer, was "unreservedly kind and giving" to anyone she knew.

He said: "She was an amazing mum, kind and gentle and very, very giving. Her generosity of spirit was amazing. She had a very special relationship with her nine grandchildren and they absolutely adored her."

Mr White, who lives near Worcester, said whenever he went out with his mother in Kidderminster she would bump into people who knew her.

Several neighbours were visibly upset by the tragedy. Doug Wall, 80, who lived next door to Mrs White, said: "She was a great friend. She used to come around and ask if I was all right."

Mrs White also had another son, Shaun, who lives in Bewdley, and a daughter, Collette.

Mrs White had just left the League of Friends shop in Bewdley Road where she was a regular customer when the accident happened. Shop organiser, Violet Danks, said: "She was a lovely person, always chatty and talking. I think I was the last person to speak to her. She was absolutely fine."

Mrs Danks said there were two crossings nearby - a pelican crossing and a refuge in the middle of the road - but many people did not use them.

She said: "It is a very busy road all the time yet we get a lot of people who do not use the crossings and I really think they should."

The Scania lorry had been travelling towards the town centre and had been in "stop-start traffic" as it approached the ringway island, when it was involved in the collision with Mrs White, coroner, Victor Round, said at the opening of the inquest in Stourport on Tuesday.

She had been crossing from the driver's near side he added.

Mr Round adjourned the inquest for three months.

Mrs White also leaves a sister, Colleen Antoniewkz, of Heathfield Crescent, Kidderminster.