by Dan Bloom

dbloom@thekmgroup.co.uk

Family and friends have paid tribute to a Sainsbury's worker who died two weeks after a car crash which killed her husband.

Carole Griffin, 66, of Lydd, died of her injuries on Monday after a 16-day fight for life in the William Harvey Hospital, Ashford. By her side were her son Ian and granddaughter Helen.

The grandmother-of-six had gone out for groceries and petrol in the blue Nissan Micra driven by her husband of 46 years, Barry, 67, on December 18.

The couple were in a head-on crash with a blue Suzuki Grand Vitara on their way home.

The accident on the A259, a mile from Brenzett towards Lydd, killed former bus driver Mr Griffin at the scene and his wife was airlifted to hospital.

Now their sons Ian, Michael and Jon have joined daughter Helen Gregory to pay tribute to their "fantastic and inspiring" parents.

Ian, who has a PhD in astronomy, has named an asteroid he discovered after the pair so their names will live on - 25273 BarryCarole orbits between Mars and Jupiter.

The siblings said in a joint statement: "The past three weeks have been horrific. As a family, we are angry and devastated by our loss and we are determined to discover the truth about what happened that morning.

"Mum and dad will leave a massive hole in our lives which will never be filled. But it's not just our family who have suffered a loss; we have been contacted by our parents' many friends and colleagues.

"All of them have shared with us their memories of a couple whose love for their family, for Romney Marsh, for gardening and, above all, for each other was never in doubt. We will miss them."

The couple, of Megan Close, were keen members of the Lydd Allotments Association where they made tea and coffee for members. Chairman Barry Arter said: "They were such a lovely couple. What's happened is horrible."

Mike Peirson, of Brooks Way, Lydd, added: "Barry was a lovely gardening friend and my fishing buddy. He had only recently taken on sea fishing and I was teaching him everything I knew."

Mrs Griffin was the second worker at New Romney's Sainsbury's store to die in a car crash on the A259 in three months after Carol Harris, 62, died in a similar accident near Old Romney on her way to work in October.

Mrs Griffin, a customer service assistant, joined the store in 2004. Manager Pete Brown said: "She will be missed by colleagues and customers."