Agony of triple death crash families

The families of two teenage girls killed when the car they were travelling in smashed into a bendy bus in south-east London have paid tribute to their "beautiful" daughters.

Amy Curran, 16, and Georgina Fox, 15, died in the Charlton crash with 18-year-old driver Joe Wallis on their way home from New Year celebrations. Friends said Joe had passed his driving test just a month ago and had not been drinking.

Two other passengers were cut free from the Peugeot 106 by fire officers. Matthew Faith, 17, needed 19 stitches to his head, while an unnamed 17-year-old girl had multiple fractures.

Georgina's father Bill, 42, a taxi driver, said: "Georgie was full of spirit - a real party girl - and we loved her. She had lots of friends and her life was built around them.

"We would do anything to have her back in our lives. She was like any other teenage girl in having lots of dreams. Now they will never happen."

He added: "I'm in bits. The family is devastated. But there is nothing we can do."

Her mother, Jo, 43, a civilian Met police employee, said: "Georgie was a beautiful daughter ... she would light up a room with her smile." Georgina had two sisters, Kelly, 20, and Jenny, 12.

Amy's father Tom, 49, a lift servicing supervisor, said his family were struggling to cope with her death. Speaking from their home in Sidcup, Kent, he said: "The family is devastated. My wife Linda had spoken to her at about 1.30am to wish her a happy New Year. She said she was having a really good time.

"The next thing I knew police told me she was dead. I'm in a state of shock. I don't know how we're going to cope.

He added: "She was a beautiful, confident, outgoing girl who was very popular."

Amy's brother Nick, 21, flew home from a ski holiday in Andorra to be with his family.

Georgina and Amy were in the same class at St Thomas More, a Roman Catholic school in nearby Eltham.

The crash with the No 453 bus happened in Little Heath, close to Charlton Athletic's football stadium, shortly after 6am yesterday. The bus was not in service and the driver escaped uninjured.

Joe's parents, Ann and Stephen Wallis, 44 and 47, told how they toasted the New Year with him, his sisters Katie, 17, Abbie, 16, and brother Michael, 25, at their home in Shooter's Hill hours earlier. "We were all together happy as a family just before he died," Mrs Wallis said. "He'd been in a pub in Greenwich with friends but came home to see in 2008 with us before he went back. He wasn't drinking at all that night because he was driving. I still can't believe he's gone - he was such a good, mature boy."

Friends who joined Joe at St Christopher's Inn in Greenwich confirmed he stuck to soft drinks. His girlfriend of two months, Danielle Clarke, 16, said: "He always made everyone put their belts on and he refused to speed or do anything risky."

The former pupil of Plumstead Manor College worked full-time at his father's roofing business.

Residents living near the crash site on the B210 said it was an accident blackspot.