A young woman and her boyfriend died when she fell asleep at the wheel and drifted into the path of a lorry, an inquest heard.

Oliver Appleby, who was brought up and went to school in Margate, was a passenger in a Mazda 2 driven by his girlfriend Sarah Relf after the couple, both 24, visited Mr Appleby’s family in Thanet.

An inquest in Bury St Edmunds heard that Miss Delf, from Norfolk, may have fallen asleep at the wheel during the journey from Margate to Norwich.

The hearing was told she was out until 4am the previous night before beginning the journey to the home she shared with Mr Appleby at 5.15pm.

The pair died in the collision between their car and a lorry on the A140 at Yaxley in Suffolk on November 15.

The inquest heard there were no skid marks or avoidance manoeuvres but the cause of the crash could not be confirmed.

After his death, Suffolk Police issued a tribute on behalf of Oliver’s family.

It said: "Oliver was a bright, enthusiastic young man with a heart of gold. He always put others first and doted on his beautiful girlfriend Sarah Delf, spending five happy years together they were inseparable.

“Oliver was a bright, enthusiastic young man with a heart of gold." - Family's tribute

"Oliver was brought up in South London, Croydon but moved to Margate in Kent after his ninth birthday with his loving family, two older sisters and his parents. He attended Ursuline College in Westgate On Sea where he made his dearest and closest friends.

“Oliver loved history and politics so after finishing his A-levels at Ursuline College he decided to go to The University of East Anglia to further his interests and studied American history and politics. This is where he met the love of his life.

“Oliver was a bright, enthusiastic young man with a heart of gold. He always put others first and doted on his beautiful girlfriend Sarah Delf, spending five happy years together, they were inseparable.

“He wasn’t a judgemental, over-opinionated person, he just wished for peace and was so humble and content in life.

“He had many interests and hobbies including cooking, home brewing, berry picking and also had a very musical side to him, where he played instruments such as the guitar and the banjo.

“Oliver loved to travel and was a very outdoors person. He visited many cities around the world and met many friends along the way. He was very popular and loved by many for his witty sense of humour, charm and kindness.

“We loved both Oliver and Sarah dearly and they will always be remembered.”