Funerals for girls who died in road crash

Two girls who lost their lives in a crash in County Durham were laid to rest in Northern Ireland yesterday, according to reports.

Three-year-old Kelsey Marie and Shauna Stokes, 17, have been named by their hometown paper The Derry Journal as the two girls who died following a serious collision on the Coast Road from Blackhall Colliery to - wards Horden on Wednesday, September 2.

A blue Peugeot 206 was involved in a collision with a silver van, travelling in the opposite direction, at around 2.30pm that day.

The North East Ambulance Service took seven patients to three different hospitals in the aftermath of the crash, while the road remained closed for a number of hours.

A number of tributes, including flowers, cards and teddy bears, were left at the scene of the collision in memory of the two girls.

The Derry Journal reports the girls had been living with family in England, but were taken home to their native Derry for burial. Fr Michael McCaughey from the Parish of the Three Patrons conducted the Mass at St Joseph’s Church in Galliagh, Derry.

Speaking after the crash, Sergeant Pete Tate, from Cleveland and Durham Specialist Operations Unit, said: “This is a tragic incident for all involved and we would like to offer our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of those who have lost their lives.”

Anyone with any information is asked to call Durham Constabulary on 101, quoting incident number 207 of September 2.