Accident on the A61: a couple on a motorbike in a collision which left six dead

A motorcyclist and his passenger killed in a crash that also claimed the lives of two young girls and their parents have been identified.

Christopher and Janine Barton died when the bike was involved in a collision with a car on the A61 between Wakefield and Barnsley on Sunday, West Yorkshire Police said.

Rubie Morgan-Roller, nine, and Lillie Morgan-Roller, four, were also killed alongside their mother Shannen Morgan and father Shane Roller.

The family were travelling in a Ford Focus when the crash happened between Staincross and Newmillerdam at around 15:55 BST.

Mr Barton, 56, and Mrs Barton, 48, had recently celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary.

In a tribute from West Yorkshire Police, their son described the couple, who lived in Barnsley, as “loving and caring mum and dad who always put me first”.

The A61 remains closed following the crash while forensic teams examine the scene.

Earlier, Mr Roller’s father described his son and Ms Morgan as “extraordinary” parents.

In a social media post, he said: “On Sunday we lost part of our family, Shane Roller, Shannen Morgan and two beautiful granddaughters in a terrible car accident.

“Shane was not only a son, but an incredible father and he had a heart of gold.

“Shannen, our daughter-in-law, was funny and she was also an amazing mom and they thought their little family was very important.”

He added: “They will be greatly missed by all who knew them, but they will always remain in our hearts and thoughts forever.

“Fly high and stay safe together.

“I love you more than words can say.”

The couple’s eldest daughter, aged 11, was not with the family, who lived in Barnsley, when the accident happened.

More than £300,000 was raised for her in 48 hours after a GoFundMe campaign was launched by family friend Paul Hepple.

Mr Hepple said the girl had “lost her whole world in an instant” and the donations would “ensure she has a stable and loving environment where she can heal and grow”.

Paul Gorner, of Junior Tykes FC, said the family had watched one of their daughters play a match on Saturday, the day before the accident.

Mr Gorner said the club would organise a match or tournament to help raise money for the girl.

In a statement, Clare Storr and Kirsty Wordsworth, co-headteachers of Athersley North Primary School, where Rubie and Lillie attended, said the girls were “a joy to teach”.

“The girls have been a credit to their parents, who have always been incredibly supportive and will also be greatly missed,” they said.

Hundreds of people had already turned up at St Helen’s Church in Athersley on Tuesday to pay their respects, Father Peter Needham told the BBC.

“The rest of our society is filled with noise and activity,” he said.

“It’s not a time of noise and activity, it’s a time of silence.”

A special ceremony will be held at 10am BST on Wednesday, which will “spiritually honour” the six people who lost their lives in the crash, he added.

West Yorkshire Police have asked anyone with information about the crash or dashcam footage to contact them.