TRIBUTES have been paid to a father and son who died in a car crash last weekend.

Shaun Gellatly, 28, and his father Malcolm, or Mally, 48, were said to be 'more like best mates'.

They died in the early hours of Sunday morning when the Rover in which they were back seat passengers left the A177 at Bowburn, near Durham, and overturned.

Mally, 48, of Westfield Way, Redcar, was a charge hand at Brands Pre-cast at South Bank in Middlesbrough.

He spent many weekends visiting his son's family in County Durham.

Shaun's widow Amanda Bamling-Gellatly, of Park Avenue, Coxhoe, said: "Mally used to make everyone laugh and was always telling jokes.

"The whole community is devastated. We have had loads of people coming round and have got a stack of sympathy cards as big as a house.

"We'd like to thank our family and friends who have been there for us."

Amanda married childhood sweetheart Shaun just 11 months ago and the couple were planning to start a family. They met on a blind date when they were 15 and have been together ever since.

Amanda said: "There was never a day that would go by when he didn't say 'I love you' - even if we had a row. It is so hard because we were going to have children but Shaun wanted to get the house ready first. He loved kids and couldn't wait to have his own."

A forklift truck driver, Shaun was made redundant from Electrolux last Friday but had already attended an interview for another job.

An inquest into the deaths of Shaun and Mally was opened and adjourned on Wednesday.

A joint funeral will be held on Tuesday at St Mary's Church, Front Street, Coxhoe, at noon, followed by interment at Bowburn Cemetery and a wake at the Kicking Cuddy Inn, Coxhoe.

Relatives have asked mourners to dress brightly. Shaun's sister-in-law Anglela said the two men would not have wanted the service to be a sad affair because they loved laughing so much.

She said: "Shaun and Mally liked colour and did not like things to be too traditional. They would want it to be a party atmosphere and not a black and sombre affair. They were always full of fun so we want it to be a celebration of their life."