The mother of a woman who died in a car crash near Scarborough today paid tribute to her loving, caring daughter.

Mother-of-three Gail Hartley Clavin, 44, was fatally injured when the stationary car she was in was hit from behind by a lorry.

The force sliced the roof off the car and catapulted Gail into the road. Today her devastated mother, Lily Hartley, spoke of the family's shock.

"It is a massive blow to the family. Gail was a lovely person, well-liked by everybody. She was popular and kind and very generous," she said.

Gail, of Shipley, had a daughter Rebecca, 20, son Elliot, 17, and lived with her youngest daughter Sinead, nine, a pupil at Windhill Primary School.

"We are looking after Sinead now. She is back at school and they have been great with her. But last night she went to bed with a photo of her mum and was talking about her. She's so young, what can you say to her? "It's just a terrible shock for us all," said 73-year-old Mrs Hartley.

She said she didn't know how the accident happened but believed the car, a BMW, had broken down on the eastbound carriageway of the A64.

It happened at 3.30am on Sunday. Four others, including Gail's husband Mark Clavin, 39, were taken to hospital although they were discharged the following day.

Michael Lane, of West Royd Road, remains "critical but stable" in Scarborough Hospital. The inquest into Gail's death was opened and adjourned in Scarborough. The funeral will be held at Nab Wood Crematorium on Tuesday, June 24, at 11am.

A North Yorkshire police spokesman said the cause of the accident was under investigation.