TRIBUTES poured in this week to the popular Allerford couple who moved into the area ‘to start a new life’ and died in an horrific car accident on the A39 last Friday.

Craig Duffy, 58, tour manager for many pop stars and groups, and his partner, 55-year-old Susan Parmiter, were fatally injured when their VW Golf was in collision with a Mitsubishi Shogun 4x4 two miles from their cottage in Allerford.

They were returning from Musgrove Park Hospital on Friday afternoon, where Mr Duffy, father of two sons, was undergoing chemotherapy treatment.

The couple had moved from Hampshire two years ago and had been renovating a cottage at West Lynch for a B&B business. They had become popular members of the community and friends and neighbours were this week still stunned by the tragedy.

Katy and Tony Lampard, the owners of Kitnors Tea Room and Garden, Bossington, where Ms Parmiter was a popular member of staff, have dedicated some new garden furniture to her. A sign read: “This bench is for happy people” and a message explained: “Her smile greeted many of you into Kitnors and her laugh filled the garden.”

The tea room was closed on the day after the accident as a mark of respect.

Paying tribute to Ms Parmiter, Mrs Lampard told the Free Press: “We were friends before anything else and it was a privilege to work with Sue. She loved working here and we laughed all the time, and brightened each other’s day. Both she and Craig had integrated into the local community so well.”

Mrs Lampard said Ms Parmiter had previously been an interior designer and antique dealer, and had plans to create an antiques studio at their cottage.

She added: “Sue had lots of plans. She was a fantastic person – generous and kind and honest. It is an absolute tragedy, a terrible loss.”

More tributes in today’s Free Press