THE Vale of Evesham was in mourning this week for the six people who died following the horrific M25 coach crash last Saturday.

Their pre-Christmas shopping trip to France ended in horror as the vehicle bringing the 44 day-trippers home overturned on the motorway, plunged down an embankment, smashed through a fence and skidded for around 50 metres into a field, ending up on its side.

The people killed were Christopher Sloane, aged 43, who was believed to have been driving the WR Spring firm's coach, and his wife, Karen, 38, of Fairfield Place, Evesham; Graham Spring, 56, one of the coach company's owners, of Northwick Road, Evesham; Bernard Coppin, 62, of Drakes Broughton, Norma Evans, 54, of Badsey, and Jane Wedgbury, 39, from Alcester, who died on Tuesday.

The deaths of Mr and Mrs Sloane left their eight-year-old son and 16-year-old daughter orphaned. Mr Spring has left a widow, Gillian, and sons, Michael, 22, who works for WR Spring, and Martyn, 19. Mr Coppin leaves his 58-year-old wife Margaret, son 31-year-old Nick and daughter Sam, aged 32.

Norma Evans, from Badsey, was single and worked with her nephew at EM Coatings. She was travelling with a friend when the accident happened.

The coach picked up passengers in Evesham, Badsey, Wickhamford and Pershore at 5am on Saturday morning.

The ferry left Dover at 10.15am and after a day's shopping in Boulogne the coach caught the 8pm ferry to arrive back home in Evesham just after midnight.

The coach crashed between junctions 15 and 16 of the M25 at around 11pm.

After the accident paramedics rushed casualties to Wexham Park Hospital, in Slough, Hillingdon Hospital and Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow.

Six people remain in hospital, with three expected to be discharged soon.

A woman at Wexham Park was said to be in a critical condition and a man at Northwick Park Hospital was being treated for eye injuries.

One further casualty remains at Hillingdon Hospital and three people at Wexham Park were waiting to be discharged.