HEARTFELT tributes have been paid to a popular father and hospital nurse who died after a motorcycle crash in Brierley Hill.

Christian Davies, known to friends and family as Hugh, suffered fatal injuries when his Honda motorbike hit a white Ford Fiesta van at the junction of Pedmore Road and The Gateway.

The 50-year-old NHS nurse and passionate motorbike fan, who lived in Amblecote, had been on his way to work at Russells Hall Hospital when the smash happened just before 7pm on June 30.

Staff and colleagues at the Dudley hospital, where Mr Davies had worked for 25 years, have been left stunned and devastated by the news - and many observed a minute's silence yesterday (Monday) in tribute.

His grieving family have expressed their sincere gratitude to passersby and people who stopped to help at the crash scene - and to the paramedics who battled to try and save Mr Davies's life.

Heartbroken partner Julie Adams described Hugh as the love of her life, her "best friend and soul mate". She said he made her laugh every day and added: "He is the best thing that ever happened to me."

Mr Davies's 19-year-old daughter Tanaya described her dad as "caring, courageous and very cheeky" and added: β€œHe was my hero and still always will be.”

Paula Clark, chief executive of the Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust, said Mr Davies was "very popular with his patients and his colleagues" at Russells Hall and she added: "Hugh was a very skilled nurse who had a particular skill for teaching and passing on his knowledge to others. He will be very much missed. We would like to pass on our sincere condolences to his partner Julie, his family, friends and close colleagues."

Family friend Kate Owen said: "Hugh was loved by so many people and he had such an impact on Russells Hall for so many years. The hospital will take a long time to recover. He touched so many lives."

Work colleague Louise Smith said: "He was an absolutely lovely guy. He was consummately professional and always had the patients' interests at heart. He was loved to bits by most of Russells Hall's staff. "The hospital's been a very, very sombre place over the last week. It's absolutely dreadful. He was just such a genuinely nice man, a really exceptional person."

A book of condolence has been opened in the hospital's chapel for Mr Davies, who is survived by his parents.

Anyone with information about the collision, or who saw either vehicle in the moments before the crash, is asked to call police on 101.