THE families of a man and a woman who died in a collision in Leigh have paid tribute to them.

A Vauxhall Astra and a Ford Mondeo taxi collided on Twist Lane at the junction with Kendal Grove shortly before 4am on Saturday.

The driver of the taxi, 59-year-old Kenneth Grimshaw, of Twist Lane, suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene.

Emma Houghton, aged 23 and from the Golborne area, was a rear-seat passenger in the taxi and was taken to hospital with a serious head injury but died on Saturday evening.

Emma’s family has paid the following tribute: “Taken from us too early, Emma was a young girl that loved life. Emma will be missed dearly by all those that loved her and still love her.”

The driver of the Astra, a 34-year-old man, was taken to hospital for treatment to serious leg injuries but has since been discharged.

Kenneth’s family has paid the following tribute: “Ken was a loving, devoted father to his two daughters and a caring granddad to his three young grandchildren, who became a focal point in his life in the last few years.

“Ken’s relationship to his two brothers transcended that of siblings, he was also their best friend. Ken was a truly larger than life character who was always smiling and found humour in almost every situation.

“To say that Ken was selfless would be a massive understatement. He was generous with not only his money but with his time too. He always made time for all of his family and friends, of whom there were many, and did this despite the fact he was unbelievably hard working.

“A driving instructor by day and a taxi driver by night, Ken served his local community with great pride. It is somewhat ironic that Ken died doing what he loved and on the street where he was born and raised.

"Ken was 59 but was much younger at heart. He will be remembered by everyone who knew him as a good-hearted, kind, family-oriented man. He will be sadly missed by everyone whose life he touched. Rest in peace, Ken.”

Police Constable Paul Hailwood from the Serious Collision Investigation Unit said: “Our thoughts continue to be with the families of Ken and Emma, as they try to come to terms with the devastating events of this weekend, and we are supporting them as best we can at this difficult time.

“We are carrying out a thorough investigation to establish the circumstances leading up to this collision, so we can provide the families of all involved with some much needed answers as to what exactly happened on Saturday morning.

“We are asking for any witnesses that saw either the silver Astra or the metallic blue Mondeo private-hire taxi driving shortly before this incident occurred, to contact us.”

Anyone with information is asked to call police at the Serious Collision Investigation Unit on 0161 856 4741/4745.