Grieving friends have set up a charity appeal following a triple tragedy on the A2 near Canterbury.

They have started it in memory of Mohammed Rahat Muqtadir and Shahjahan Miah who died with another man when the black Mercedes they were travelling in crashed into a lorry as they returned to London from the coast.

The accident near a layby Dunkirk, in which a fourth man was also badly injured, happened in the early hours of January 11.

The "inseparable" group all came from the Finsbury Park area of Islington where the close knit community is said to be in shock.

The Just Giving page has already far exceeded its £5,000 target and today stands at almost £7,000.

It will pay for Hajj - a pilgrimage to Mecca on their behalf - as well as helping to build water wells in third world countries.

An inquest has been opened into the death of Mr Muqtadir, 31, a businessman who friends told the Evening Standard had "a heart of gold".

He was due to be married and he and Mr Miah, 33, were said to be lifelong friends.

The third victim, a father-of-two in his thirties whose identity has not yet been released, lived in the same street in Finsbury Park.

A fourth man in the car who suffered severe injuries has been named as Turan Senpalit, 32, from Enfield. He is said to be fighting for life in King’s College Hospital.

The Evening Standard reported that his father was calling for an investigation into the crash.

He said: "We go to the hospital every day and the situation is not good, he is not responding to anything. We don’t know how this happened, we want a full investigation."

Flowers and tributes have been laid in the street outside the family's homes.

The lorry was said to be parked in a lay-by and the 35-year-old driver from France, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving. He has since been released pending further investigation.

Anyone who witnessed the collision or with dashcam footage should call Kent Police’s Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 01622 798538, quoting reference SCIU/DM/008/1