They were a fun-loving group of friends, taking time off from their jobs and college courses to enjoy a summer evening together in Brighton.

Yesterday, devastated friends and relatives of the five young people from the Crawley area who died in the A23 tragedy paid tribute to them.

Mitch Treliving, 19, who lived with his mother and brothers in Faygate, is believed to have been at the wheel of the BMW which seemed to take off as it went out of control.

He was completing an apprenticeship as a stonemason and friends said he had just started going out with 17-year-old Gemma Smoker, a trainee hairdresser, of Henshaw Close, Bewbush. The trip to the coast on Sunday was the couple's first real date.

Also in the car was Gemma's friend Catherine Sharpe, 18, from Gossops Green. The pair were very close and worked at Signatures Hair Studio in Three Bridges, studying hairdressing together at Crawley College.

Catherine's window-cleaner brother Aaron, 20, who lived in Tilgate, and their pal Danielle Billingham, 17, who had just moved to Crawley and was staying at the Skylane Hotel in Horley, made up the rest of the party.

Their families were yesterday coming to terms with the shock of their loss. Some visited the scene of Sunday's accident, just north of Pyecombe, to add their tributes.

Mitch's grandfather Clive spoke on behalf of his family, saying: "What has happened is very shocking and we are still trying to come to terms with it. Mitch was a good lad and we all miss him terribly."

His relatives were gathered at the family farm near Crawley.

His aunt Cindy Treliving said: "We are all just absolutely distraught, especially my mother, she has taken it really badly. We need time to get our heads together."

Stephen Treliving, Mitch's other grandfather, said: "He was a lovely boy. He was known by a lot of people around here.

"It's a tragedy, I'm 78 and you don't expect to see your grandchildren go before you do. We're a very big family.

"It's a big support network but nothing we can say to each other can take away our loss."

Tara Rowland, 32, who runs Signatures studio with Catherine's elder sister Claire in nearby Three Bridges, said she had been given flowers and cards by well-wishers.

She said: "Gemma and Catherine were very close friends. They had worked here since they were 16.

"They were the best of friends and did everything together. They had probably gone to Brighton for the day to walk round the pier.

"Mitch and Gemma had only just started seeing each other and it was pretty much their first date.

"Catherine was also really close to her big brother Aaron and when they weren't together they were always on the phone to each other."

Tara said she first realised something had gone wrong when Catherine's younger brother Andrew, 14, arrived at the salon on Monday. He had been due to start work experience there and was expecting his sister to meet him on the way.

Tara said: "At that point nobody knew what had happened but something had to have been wrong for her to leave him in the lurch."

The girls' classmates at Crawley College were being informed today as special support sessions were set up. Principal John Cox passed on his sympathies to the families.

The ex-girlfriend of window cleaner Aaron, who asked not to be named, fought back tears as she said: "Aaron was the loveliest guy you could ever meet."

The tributes to the group were piling up at the scene yesterday. Small groups of friends and relatives stood in silence as they placed wreaths on the grass.

One bouquet read: "Mitch, I so want you to come back to me. I miss you, love dad."

Witnesses can call the Operation Devonshire team on 0845 6070999.