Family of bin lorry crash victim in 'disbelief'

Andzie Stanik's family said he had worked "on the bins" for 25 years

The family of a bin worker killed when a refuse lorry went through the wall of a building have said they are "in complete disbelief" and utterly heartbroken over his death.

Andzie "Stan" Stanik, 62, was a passenger in the vehicle at the time of the crash on a junction of Mill Street in Leominster on Tuesday morning.

Two others were seriously injured and airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham.

In a tribute, Mr Stanik's family said: "He enjoyed nothing more than a pint of Guinness at the pub in the village, long rambles with his beloved terrier Bella, cheering on Hereford FC at the weekend, and spending time with his children, Tilly, Alfie and Charlie."

They added: "None of us imagined that our most recent goodbye would be our final one - and that the simple, mundane moments we shared would suddenly become the ones we treasure the most.

"It feels surreal to wake up on an ordinary Tuesday and have someone taken from your life so suddenly and cruelly, and as a family we are struggling to comprehend what has happened."

Mr Stanik had worked as a refuse collector for 25 years, most recently with contractor FCC Environment.

Herefordshire Council leader Jonathan Lester said he was "deeply saddened" by his death and wished the others affected a swift recovery.

Tributes have been left at the scene

West Mercia Police said the incident happened at about 06:40 GMT on Tuesday.

Mr Stanik was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver, 50, and a second passenger, 47, were taken to hospital, where they remained in a stable condition, the force said.

Their injuries are not thought to be life-threatening. The building was empty and unoccupied at the time it was struck.

The crash exposed the inside of the building

The building was partially demolished on Wednesday, and West Mercia Police asked people to stay away from the area.

It called for witnesses to come forward if they had seen the lorry travelling along Mill Street, or had seen the crash.

Julian Wontner, the owner of the building, was upset at the demolition.

"They pulled down one third of the building, which was basically a ground floor room, first floor room and second floor room," he said.

Mr Wontner said he had lived in the building, which he described as "historic", about 20 years ago.

He told the BBC that there were important historical items inside.

Jenny Plane went to the scene with flowers

Jenny Plane, who has lived in the town for 50 years, took flowers to the scene to pay tribute to everyone involved in the crash.

She said the building had previously been a pub, antique shop, and had housed a tea room over the years.

She described the incident as a "terrible tragedy", but was "thankful that the emergency services had got to the men".