Durham A1 crash: One victim named as Paul Mullen

Paul Mullen's family say he will be "sorely missed by all who knew him"

Tributes have been paid to a father-of-three who was one of three people who died in a collision on the A1(M).

Two lorries and four cars were caught up in the crash near Bowburn, County Durham, on Thursday.

Paul Mullen, 51, from Washington, who was driving a Toyota Hilux, died at the scene.

A 41-year-old man, who was driving one of the lorries, was arrested on suspicion of causing death by dangerous driving, but later released on bail.

Mr Mullen's family said in a statement: "Our hearts are broken. Life will never be the same again.

"He will be sadly missed by all who knew him."

Durham Police said a man and a woman, who were in a Vauxhall Crossland, also died at the scene of the collision, and a number of other people were injured.

Det Supt Dave Ashton described it as a "harrowing incident" which was "incredibly upsetting and distressing for those who witnessed the collision, and for the emergency responders".

The police force is appealing for dashcam footage or photographs of the crash to be uploaded to a specialist website.