A teenager who died along with two college friends when he crashed his grandfather's car had only passed his driving test 48 hours earlier.

Simon Ingham, 18, was killed when the red Vauxhall Nova careered into a tree.

The crash on the A286 at Easebourne, near Midhurst, also claimed the life of his best friend Sam Hung La, 16, whose parents run a Chinese takeaway in Chichester city centre.

Also killed instantly was another back seat passenger, Steven McGill, 18, of Taylor's Rise, Midhurst, a fellow student at Chichester College of Arts Science and Technology.

An 18-year-old front-seat passenger escaped the wreckage with a broken nose and bruising. His name has not been released.

The youngster will be questioned as part of an intensive investigation into the cause of the accident, which happened at 8.30pm on Thursday.

Simon's mother Ruth Ingham, 37, said: "Simon and Sam were such close friends and they will probably be buried side by side."

Mrs Ingham, of Exton Road, Chichester, told how Simon had passed his driving test on Tuesday at his first attempt.

She said: "We were all thrilled to bits for him and he was so pleased."

On Wednesday Simon, who was training to become an electrician, and Sam went to Brighton in the red Nova to look at music equipment.

Simon had borrowed his grandfather Tom Ingham's car again on Thursday evening. He and his friends were on their way back to Chichester after visiting friends in Fernhurst when the car left the road and smashed into a tree.

Mrs Ingham, who has another son, Patrick, 14, said: "I don't think I have come to terms with it yet. We are all devastated but I have got a large family and they have all rallied round."

Yesterday cards sent to Simon for his 18th birthday on December 28 were still on display in the family home.

Tom Ingham, 76, said: "He was probably a better driver than I am. He was very careful and competent."

Simon and Sam met as pupils at St Philip Howard High School at Barnham and became firm friends.

Last night a member of staff at the Jasmine House takeaway in The Hornet at Chichester, which is run by Sam's parents Ngoc and Kitty La, said they were too upset to talk about the tragedy.

The couple live in nearby Peter Weston Place and Sam is believed to have been taking a computer course at the college.

A sign outside said the takeaway would be closed until further notice. A woman who was inside the building said: "They are in a deep state of shock."