The parents of a teenage musician killed in a head-on crash have paid the ultimate tribute by performing in a concert in his memory.

Teachers at the College at Braintree, in Church Lane, organised a memorial show for pupil James Simmons, 18, who died after he was involved in a crash in Gosfield in December.

The show, which was held in the college on Saturday evening, was packed out after friends and relatives snapped up the 200 free tickets on offer.

About 17 different acts from both the college and Sound Academy, which offers free music lessons to young people in the town, raised the roof with touching performances.

James’s dad Mike, of Hillside Gardens, Braintree, said: “It was a fantastic evening, it was better than I ever thought it would have been.

“The level of professionalism was brilliant, they really raised the bar."

See the Braintree and Witham Times for the full story.