THE last words of a Pershore man before he died in last weekend's horrific M25 coach crash were "what a fantastic day I've had".

Father-of-two Bernard Coppin, aged 62, was travelling back from a Christmas shopping trip to Boulogne, France, with wife Margaret and six friends when the coach veered off the M25 and careered down an embankment just before 11pm last Saturday.

"I woke up in the coach on my side," said Mrs Coppin, who works for social services in Worcester.

"I was bemused at first and then heard my friend shouting for me to get out. All I could think of was Bernard.

"Later on I thought I saw him lying on the ground - he looked peacefully asleep."

Mrs Coppin, who had recently celebrated 40 years of marriage, said her husband, a retired project engineer, was a "bit of a Victor Meldrew".

"He had old-fashioned values but was such a laugh," added the 58-year-old.

"He said he wasn't going to enjoy the trip but he had a great time."

Funeral directors E Hill and Son of Pershore are arranging Mr Coppin's funeral, which is expected to take place on Friday, November 29.

Two survivors of the crash, in which six people died, have spoken of their ordeal.

Alison Lovelady, 41, and her 20-year-old daughter Clare, both from Evesham, suffered minor injuries when the WR Spring & Son coach overturned.

"It was like something you see on television," she said.

MP Sir Michael Spicer visited the firm's Evesham depot to express sympathy and offer condolences to founder Roy Spring on the loss of son Graham, driver Chris Sloane and wife Karen Sloane.

He vowed to study the police accident report to study the safety implications.