THE FAMILY of two women who died in a crash have paid tribute to them.

Denise, 79, and Justine Hughes, 30, died in a crash on Fochriw Road, on Tuesday July 19.

The family has shared the following tribute:

“Denise was tragically taken from us. A lovely wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother who was adored by all. She loved and was loved, always willing to help anyone where she could. We all looked at her as the head of the family.

“Words cannot express the pain we feel but thanks to the support of family and friends it is made more bearable. To say she will be missed would be an understatement.

“Justine, such a young, happy woman that sadly had her young life cut tragically short.

“A life that promised so much but ended in tragedy. A loving mother, sister, daughter, granddaughter, and niece who gave as much love as she received.

“A mother to Megan and Rowan, they will grow up knowing how kind, happy and loving their mother was. They will never be allowed to forget.

“We would like to say thank you to all those at the open cast quarry that helped and were so kind, the members of the public that stopped and tried to help and to all the emergency services for their assistance.

“The family would kindly ask that you respect our privacy at this time.”

What happened?

Gwent Police officers attended a road traffic collision involving a blue Citroen C3 and a white Ford Ranger at around 10.15am on Tuesday, July 19.

Paramedics from the Welsh Ambulance Service also attended and confirmed that two women had died at the scene: 79-year-old Denise Hughes and 30-year-old Justine Hughes.

Their next of kin are receiving support from specialist officers.

A three-year-old boy, who was also travelling in the Citroen, was taken to hospital for minor injuries and has since been discharged.

A 22-year-old man - who was in the Ford Ranger - was taken to hospital with serious injuries, where he remains in a stable condition.

A spokesman for Gwent Police said:

"Enquires are ongoing and we’re appealing for anyone with information, including those with CCTV or dashcam footage, or any motorists who were in Fochriw Road between 09.45 and 10.15 to contact us.

"You can call us on 101 or send us a direct message on social media, quoting log reference 2200241300."