The uncle and young niece of Victoria Pickering, who died with her friend Zoe West in a car crash on the M6 in Lancashire earlier this month, were killed in an accident as they travelled north on Saturday.

Paul Anderson, 48, and four-year-old Samantha Carr, his granddaughter, had been travelling north from Colne, Lancashire, to the Scottish Highlands when the crash happened between Newtonmore and Dalwhinnie in Aberdeenshire.

The girl died at the scene and Mr Anderson, who was driving a Hyundai 4x4 pulling a caravan, was pronounced dead on arrival at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness.

The funeral of 27-year-old Miss Pickering, pictured on page one, who lived in Ely Court, Gosport, and worked as a civilian stores worker at
HMS Nelson, Portsmouth, went ahead yesterday as planned.

The accident is a devastating blow for Miss Pickering's mother, Glenys, who has lost her daughter, her brother and her great-niece in the space of a few weeks.

Her parents, Sylvia and Victor, who also live in Scotland, have lost their son, granddaughter and great-granddaughter.
A close friend of the family, Alex Gray, said: 'The tragedy has touched a lot of people in the community. Everyone is feeling for them.'

More than 100 people packed the Church of Scotland at Gairloch for the funeral of Miss Pickering, who lived with her 27-year-old boyfriend Keith George in Gosport. So many people turned up that the service was relayed to the adjacent church hall.

The Rev Heather Widdows, who was formerly Miss Pickering's primary school teacher, said the 27-year-old was a 'bright guiding star'.

After the service Miss Pickering was buried in the neighbouring graveyard.

A wreath was sent by Miss Pickering's colleagues at Portsmouth Naval Base.