IRREPLACEABLE is how devastated friends and colleagues at an Ashford factory have described a young woman who has died in a car crash.

Melissa Turnham, 24, had been a technical administrator at the Ashford fragrance manufacturer Quest International for four years.

Miss Turnham, who liked to be known as Mel, lived in Granville Road East in Sandgate with her partner of nearly two years Craig Harris. The pair, who planned to get engaged this year, were motorbike enthusiasts who attended rallies and charity runs.

Miss Turnham died instantly when she lost control of her blue Peugeot 306. She was driving towards Dymchurch on the A259 at about 12.35pm on Saturday.

She hit a crash barrier and a red Ford Maverick travelling in the other direction on the bend near the Burmarsh junction between the Martello Tower and Queens Way.

The male driver and female passenger in the other car, from Folkestone, were taken to Ashford's William Harvey Hospital with chest and neck injuries.

Head of compounding at Quest, Mike Cullen, said: "Nothing was too much trouble for her. Her sparky personality gave a lift to the whole team. The team was like a family. She is irreplaceable."

Head of engineering Jonathan Fairclough added: "Mel was the friendly face of engineering, interfacing between the workshop team and other staff on site. We are all devastated."