The widow of a pilot killed in the Hatfield rail crash told today of her "brilliant" husband.

Lindsey Arthur spoke as she prepared to tell children Holly, seven, and Nicholas, four, of the death of their father, Steve Arthur, 46, of Old Brighton Road, Pease Pottage.

Mrs Arthur, 33, said: "I just feel numb. Steve was such a brilliant husband, father and son".

Mr Arthur was one of four passengers killed in the derailment on Tuesday and one of three named by police last night.

Mrs Arthur said her husband had been travelling to Leeds on the train to pick up passengers and fly them to Jersey in a private jet.

Croydon-born Mr Arthur ran the Atlantic Gulf Aviation company, based near Miami.

He and his wife had been married for eight years. Mrs Arthur said: "I had heard nothing about the crash and the first I knew of it was a message on my answering machine yesterday evening from one of the passengers Steve had been due to pick up in Leeds.

"I had a sleepless night and then at 7.30am today I got the news about Steve.

"I can't really think about things like rail safety yet. I'm still so numb."

Two other men who died in the crash were named as Peter Monkhouse, 50, of Leeds, and Leslie Gray, 43, of Tuxford, Notts. The fourth victim has not yet been named.

Along with the four people killed in the derailment of the Great North Eastern Railways 12.10pm London to Leeds high-speed train on Tuesday, 35 others were injured.

Investigators believe a broken rail may have caused the crash and Railtrack admitted it knew ten months ago that the condition of the track was "not good".

Railtrack's chief executive, Gerald Corbett, tendered his resignation over the disaster but the board refused to accept it.