FRIENDS and work colleagues of a Selby father-of-two who died in car crash have described him as a “lovely fella” and a “well-liked companion”.

Philip Grattan died on Thursday afternoon when his VW Golf was involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Astra, close to his workplace at the West Burton power station, in Nottinghamshire.

Mr Grattan, 46, was well-known in his local pub in Selby, the Abbey Vaults, where landlord Charles Callan paid tribute.

Mr Callan said: “He was a lovely fella. He was full of life and always helped out. He was an absolute star.

“He would come in here maybe twice a week and he was known to a lot of regulars here.

“He never had a bad word to say about anybody.”

At the time of his death, Mr Grattan was working as a rigger at the power station, under contract with international engineering firm Amec.

Yesterday, Peter Stalker an executive at the company, said: “He was a very well-liked companion and experienced member of the team and our sympathies go out to his family and friends.”

Mr Grattan is believed to have moved back to Selby from the United States about four years ago and it is understood he had a wife and two children, aged 13 and six, in America.

Earlier this week, Mr Grattan’s sister, Serena, 37, paid tribute to her brother in a Nottinghamshire newspaper.

She described him as a “face about town” and said he was known to everybody in Selby.

A funeral service will take place at 3.40pm on Friday at York Crematorium.

Police in Nottinghamshire are currently investigating the circumstances of the tragedy, and have asked for anyone who was in the area of the A616 at Haxey Road to get in touch.

Witnesses should phone Detective Sergeant James Greely, of Nottinghamshire Police, on 0300 300 9999.