Almost 1,000 people have paid tribute to a 22-year-old Rugeley man who was killed in a three-car smash.

Hundreds have contacted an internet site to pay their respects to former Cardinal Griffin High pupil Ashley Burton, of Brereton Road, describing him as “always smiling and liked by everyone he met.”

Mr Burton, known by his nickname ‘Burty’, died in an accident on Eastern Way, Cannock, at around 10.45pm on Sunday.

He was the passenger in a black X-Type Jaguar, which was in collision with a red Renault Clio and a blue Peugeot 106. Paramedics tried to revive him but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver, a 22-year-old man from Cannock, was taken to Birmingham’s Selly Oak Hospital with multiple injuries. His condition is stable.

Until recently Mr Burton worked at Premier Nutrition Products, on the Levels industrial estate near his home. He was an avid fan of motor cars and his hobbies included dance music and nights out with his friends.

Friend John Madgin said: “He was an amazing lad, he made me laugh constantly, he was always smiling. He’s the type of lad who never had a problem with anyone.” Adam Ashworth, who worked with Mr Burton at the Red Lion pub in Brereton, said: “The news has taken everybody in the town by surprise, it has shaken up a lot of people.”

Almost 1,000 of Mr Burton’s friends and acquaintances have joined a web group on the internet site Facebook paying tribute to him. One mourner wrote: Your gorgeous smile and bubbly character will be missed by many.”

Two 19-year-old men from Great Wyrley who were in the Clio, were taken to the University Hospital of North Staffordshire. The driver of the Peugeot, a 19-year-old from Cannock, and his passengers had non-life threatening injuries.