A great-grandmother died and her husband broke his neck in a devastating smash on their 65th wedding anniversary.

Norah Graham was a front seat passenger in the car being driven by her husband Stewart when it collided head-on with another car on Barrowford Road in Fence, near Burnley.

The 'devoted' Accrington couple were taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital with serious injuries but Mrs Graham died a short time later.

Mr Graham is recovering and has been placed in a neck plaster but is unaware that his wife is dead.

The pair were driving home from anniversary lunch when the smash happened at around 1.35pm on Wednesday, May 4.

Mrs Graham’s heartbroken daughter Eileen De-Maine, 65, of Accrington, said: "It's a tragic way to come to an end. I just hope she went quickly and didn't suffer at all.

"It started off as a lovely day. I had spoken with them both in the morning and wished them a happy anniversary. But when I had a phone call at around 4pm from the hospital I knew something was adrift. I knew one or both of them had met their end. With a head on collision and my mum being so frail, I suppose she didn't have much of a chance."

She added: "My father doesn't know my mum is dead yet. We have been over to see him and he even got out of bed and looked for her. But he's quite anxious and is on medication for his injuries so we don't think it's right to tell him yet. We will do, but at the right time, when he's more aware. The trouble is, we don't know how he's going to be in himself yet. He's moving his limbs but he has a a neck plaster on and that will remain for a few months," said Eileen.

The Grahams’ grey Vauxhall Astra was travelling in the direction of Nelson when it collided with a red Vauxhall Astra heading in the opposite direction.

Police are investigating what caused the crash and said the 52-year-old female driver of the red Astra and a passenger were taken to hospital with whiplash but were later discharged.

Mrs Graham was born and raised in Oswaldtwistle, worked at Foxhall Bank, Oswaldtwistle Co-operative, RG Smith and later in catering at Accrington Victoria Hospital.

She married British Aerospace planning engineer Mr Graham at St Mary’s RC Church in 1946 and the couple lived on Whalley Road, Accrington for more than 20 years.

They both reitred in their early 50s and rented a house in Clitheroe before moving to Fence.

Paying tribute to her mum Eileen said: "My mum loved baking and feeding the birds. She was very outgoing, generous, chatty and was always smiling and upbeat. They both used to go and watch the cricket at Accrington.

"They were great for their age and totally devoted to each other. They were always walking when they were slightly younger and they'd even driven over to see me in Accrington last week. My dad's a keen gardener and brought some plants over. They never did anything separate from each other."

"I am so saddened for our loss but I know mum has gone to a better place," she said.

Mrs Graham leaves behind her husband, her brother, a son and daughter and a daughter-in-law as well as two grandchildren and two great grandchildren.