A HOLIDAY ended in a double tragedy for a Bury family after they were involved in a car crash minutes after arriving in Spain.

Joyce Young (54), of Cornwall Drive, and her brother-in-law Stuart Young, were killed in a head-on collision with a speeding BMW as they travelled from the airport.

Joyce's husband, Geoffrey, and Stuart's wife, Margaret, who was driving, suffered serious injuries. Geoffrey (59) spent seven days in intensive care in a Spanish hospital before being allowed to fly home.

Joyce and Geoffrey had travelled out to Spain on December 22 to visit Stuart (57) and Margaret (56) who moved from Brandlesholme to Torrevieja, near Alicante, 13 months ago. They were collected at the airport and the accident happened 30 minutes later.

Geoffrey, who is now being cared for at his home by his daughters Hazel and Joyce, said his life had been turned upside down since the death of his wife, to whom he was married for 23 years. They have eight grandchildren.

He said this week: "I will be giving each of them a piece of Joyce's jewellery to remember her by. The family have been fantastic. They won't leave me alone at the moment."

He added: "Joyce was so full of fun and lived life to the full. She wasn't in the best of health but she was happy. It has been a big shock to the family."

The couple had planned to look for a house themselves in Spain. Geoffrey said that he may think about moving in future.

"I have been disabled since an accident when I was a truck driver, and with Joyce not being very well, we thought moving to somewhere warm might help."

Margaret has chosen to carry on her life in the resort of Torrevieja, where she had made her home with her husband, who has been buried in Spain. He had worked at Olives Paper Mill. The couple have three sons, John, Steven and Andrew.

An inquest into Joyce's death was opened and adjourned in Rochdale on Wednesday. Her funeral will take place on Monday, January 26, at Bury Parish Church at noon, followed by interment at Bury Cemetery.