A SHOCKED community has paid tribute to "absolute gem of a girl" who died in a car accident near her home village.Popular Tanya Atkins, 22, was adored by those who knew her as a fun loving girl who lived life to the full.

A SHOCKED community has paid tribute to an "absolute gem of a girl" who died in a car accident near her home .

Popular Tanya Atkins, 22, was adored by those who knew her as a fun loving girl who lived life to the full.

She was killed in a car accident on Sunday, on the A1120, just outside Stowupland, where she lived with her parents.

Tanya, from Hornbeam Road in Stowupland, was driving an Audi saloon when she was involved in a collision with a Vauxhall Astra estate, two miles from Stowupland at about 7.30am.

The accident has devastated her family and people who knew her.

Tanya, an office worker who had a sister had worked at the Crown Pub in the village some evenings and weekends where she was well liked and popular.

Pub landlady Jean Collis was in tears last night as she remembered the "gem of a girl'' who had worked at The Crown Pub in the village for two years.

Landlord Mrs Collis, who runs the pub with husband John, said: "She was a diamond, an absolute gem. I can't talk too highly about her.

"She lived life to the full, was fun loving girl with a great sense of humour and we just can't believe she has gone. It's like losing one of your own."

Tanya had also worked at Stowupland Garage, which is owned by one side of the family, the Leeks.

Rev Deidre Parmenter, priest at Stowupland, said the community was in a deep state of shock over the latest death of a local young person.

Only recently 18-year-old motorcyclist Karl Waterman, of Stowupland Road, Stowmarket, died after an accident with a tractor.

Rev Parmenter said: "Our thoughts are with the family. We are absolutely devastated for the family and all deeply shocked.

"People heard the air ambulance helicopter and an ambulance when they were in the service at church.

"Everyone holds their breath and dreads what they are hearing and realises it will be some family who has been affected.

"Our heart goes out to them for their terrible grief and loss. We want to be there and offer our support in anyway we can.

"She was so young. This is a double tragedy for the village in a very short space of time. Young people, both pupils at the high school I believe, local youngsters."

Tanya had worked at an office in Creeting St Peter, near Needham Market, and attended Stowupland High School.

Medics fought unsuccessfully to try and resuscitate Tanya at the roadside after the accident, which left three other people needing treatment at hospital. One was air lifted by air ambulance with serious injuries. Tanya's death was the sixth road fatality in five days on Suffolk's roads.

Police named the woman killed on the A137 at Tattingstone as 42-year-old Susan Duligall of Fernlea Road, Harwich.

She was the driver of a Citroen car in collision with a Volvo on Sunday afternoon.