A father-of-two whose wife was killed in a horrific road crash told today how his life had been torn apart.

Steve Barnard, 40, of Windmill Gardens, Selby, said his children had lost a "mum in a million" and he had lost a brilliant wife.

Katrina Barnard was driving home from Noreen's salon at Hemingbrough, where she worked as a hairdresser, when her Vauxhall Nova was in collision with an articulated lorry on the A63 at Osgodby.

Mrs Barnard, also 40, was killed instantly - leaving behind a devastated family which is still trying to come to terms with the tragedy.

The couple, who had been together for 25 years, have two children, Charlotte, nine, and Aaron, 11, both pupils at Selby Abbey School.

Mr Barnard, a service manager with Selby company JCM, said: "Katrina thought the world of her kids and took them to swimming, football, horse-riding and gymnastics.

"She was always there for them, as she was for the rest of her family and friends. She always put everybody before herself.

"Everyone is distraught. This shouldn't happen to anyone, but if you had to make a list, Katrina would be the last one."

Mr Barnard added: "She was so happy-go-lucky, the life and soul of the party, and was always laughing.

"We had been married 19 years and lived life to the full. She had been going to keep-fit recently and had never looked or felt better.

"She worked hard to enjoy things in life. We had just booked two holidays abroad, everything was hunky-dory, and then this happens. Words can't begin to describe how much she will be missed."

Mrs Barnard, a former pupil at the old Selby Secondary School, also worked as a cleaner at Beech Tree surgery, in Doncaster Road.

She also leaves a brother, Karl, sister, Michelle, and parents Hilary and Ian Nelson.

The funeral will be held at 10am on Thursday at York Crematorium, followed by refreshments at Selby's Londesborough Hotel.

Mr Barnard said: "We always used to meet up with friends at the Londesborough, but it won't be a wake because Katrina wouldn't have wanted that."

Police are appealing for witnesses to the accident, which happened at 4.10pm last Friday.

Anyone with information should contact Selby police on 01757 702596.

Updated: 14:50 Wednesday, April 11, 2001