Family pays tribute to St Ives man Neil Aitken who died in Bedfordshire road crash

The sister of a man who died in a road crash has paid tribute to her "wonderful and much-loved" brother.

Neil Aitken, 56, died when his car collided with a van at Tempsford in Bedfordshire at 9.40am on Thursday.

His sister Joanne described Mr Aitken, of St Ives in Cambridgeshire, as "a wonderful son, fabulous brother, great brother-in-law, an amazing uncle, and a dear friend to many".

She added: "He was always smiling and was a happy-go-lucky guy that was the life and soul of the party (and there were a few).

"His tragic death has totally rocked and devastated our family and, despite the distance with us living on the other side of the world, he was a frequent visitor, and a very much-loved family member, and was looking forward to coming over for Christmas.

"He was a very kind-hearted person that would have done anything for anyone always there when needed.

She said: "He was our everything and has left a huge hole that will never be filled. [He was] taken from us far too soon, we will miss him dearly."

Investigations into the crash are continuing and police are asking anyone with dashcam footage or other information to call 101 or report online, quoting Operation Creed.