A ROAD tragedy which killed three men has left a four-month-old baby without her dad.

Amateur boxer Paul McKenzie was one of three friends killed when their car was in a head-on crash with a bus.

Paul was driving the Peugeot 106 involved in a head-on crash with the bus at a notorious accident blackspot on the A62 between Oldham and Delph at 1am last Thursday.

Two other men in the car remain critically ill in hospital.

Paul, 22, of Reed Street in Marsh, and his girlfriend, Anne-Marie Heaton, have a baby daughter, Drew.

Twenty-year-old Anne-Marie, of Quarmby, said: "Paul was a loving father and boyfriend and will be very much missed by everyone who knew him. It's unbelievable how many friends he has.

"He was a good friend to so many people and would do anything for anyone.

"I don't think what's happened has hit me yet. I'm living hour by hour at the moment."

Paul's close friend, 24-year-old Anthony Fuery, of Golcar, added: "Paul was a fun-loving partygoer who was taking up a career in plastering.

"We are still trying to get over the terrible shock.

"Paul was a great guy to be around and a face that everybody knew."

Paul trained to be a kick boxer at the Colne Valley Black Belt Academy at Linthwaite and in October, 2002, won a Northern Area Championship title.

Academy owner Bernard Taylor said: "Paul just did kickboxing with us and was a nice lad who everyone got on well with.

"He was a good, hard trainer who put his heart and soul into it."

In more recent times Paul had taken up boxing at the Quannum Gym in Diggle, Greater Manchester, run by Huddersfield brothers Ian, Dave and Andy Butlin.

Ian, of Moldgreen, said: "Paul was in my boxing class and was one of the best ones we had at the gym.

"He was very athletic and a decent lad. What's happened is such a terrible shame."

The other two men killed last Thursday were Ross Neill, 25, of Lord Street in Slaithwaite, and Carl Rawlinson, 25, from Huddersfield.

Two other young men are critically ill at Royal Oldham Hospital.

They are a 21-year-old from Slaithwaite and a 25-year-old from Marsden.

* Greater Manchester Police have today issued a photograph of the third car crash victim, Ross Neill.

Ross - a former soldier - worked as a lorry driver and lived with his girlfriend in Slaithwaite.

He worked for Leeds haulage company Archbolds.

Ross's parents live in Marsden and he also had three sisters.

He had joined the army when he was 16 and served for more than three years, including during the war in Kosovo.

A statement for his family said: "Paul has many friends, mates and family and will be sadly missed by all."