Friends of a talented teenage musician have paid tribute to “a beautiful soul” after he was killed in a head-on collision north of Braintree.

James Simmons, 18, of Hillside Gardens, Braintree, died at the scene of the crash involving a blue Ford Fiesta and a blue Volkswagen Polo in Braintree Road, Gosfield, just before 5pm on Sunday.

He was the rear seat passenger of the Polo and another man, David Bradley, 30, of Beckers Green Road, Braintree, who was the driver of the Fiesta, was also declared dead at the scene.

Friends of James, a former pupil at John Ray Infant and Junior School and Notley High School, described him as “the sort of person you can’t live without”.

Jordan Heady, 18, of Nichols Grove, Braintree, had been playing in band Violet Quartz with James, a guitarist and a drummer.

They had been friends since primary school.

Jordan, the lead singer, who works at Cineworld in Braintree, said: “He has been a massive part of my life for 15 years and I don’t know what I will do without him.

“Every time I had a problem, I would always talk to him and he would pick me up.

“He was always telling me to push on, he inspired me.

“He was a wonderful guy, the sort of person you can’t live without.”

James, who was studying for a diploma in music technology at the College at Braintree, worked as a general assistant at Savers Health and Beauty, in the High Street, and at Tesco in the town.

See this week's Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.