Anguish at school over crash deaths

Erika Thornhill said staff and pupils at Brockley Primary School, Clowne Road, Shuttlewood, were in shock over the loss of seven-year-old Joshua Taylor and his four-year-old brother Leon.

Ms Thornhill said: "There is complete disbelief and devastation. They were just lovely, wonderful boys.

"Joshua absolutely loved sport and football, and was in all the school sport clubs, while Leon had just started in reception year and was into everything.

"He enjoyed everything the school gave him to do.

"When it is a small school like this, everyone plays a huge part and they have left a huge gap."

The youngsters died when the Renault Megane their 32-year-old mother was driving collided head-on with a Ford Sierra travelling in the opposite direction.

Joshua and Leon's mum and her 13-year-old nephew, who was also in the car, suffered serious injuries in the smash on Buttermilk Lane, Shuttlewood, last Saturday, but the boys were pronounced dead at the scene.

Three men in the other car - Kenneth Jones, 25, his brother Martin, 22 and Andrew Darnell, 21, all from Bolsover - also died at the scene.

One line of enquiry being followed up by police is that the Sierra may have been racing with a motorbike before the fatal collision.

A 17-year-old motorcyclist arrested after the smash was questioned by police before being released on bail.

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