A VILLAGE has expressed its "sorrow" over the death of two local church officials who died in a head-on road crash with a truck in south Ayrshire.

Henry McBeath, 80 and Jessie McBeath, 78, both long-standing members of their local church, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash which happened at around 3pm on May 3 near Mossblown.

The pair, from Sorn in Ayrshire, were travelling west in a white Kia Venga car on the B743 road when it was involved in a head on collision with a Renault LGV truck which was travelling east towards Mauchline.

The driver of the truck was uninjured but was left badly shaken by the incident.

The road was closed for several hours as crash scene investigators examined the scene.

Police Scotland has said that a report will be sent to the Procurator Fiscal.

Sergeant Iain Pittams from the Divisional Road Policing Unit in Irvine is appealing for anyone who may have witnessed the incident or who may have seen either the car or the truck prior to the incident to contact officers.

News of the crash has shocked the village of Sorn, where the couple had lived for over a decade after retirement, during which they were known as active members of the village church.

Mr McBeath, was ordained an elder at the historic Sorn Parish Church soon after he moved to the village and Mrs McBeath became an office bearer at the local Church of Scotland Guild, formerly known as the Woman's Guild.

Session clerk of Sorn Parish Church, Betty Johnstone said: "It is with great sorrow the members of our congregation learned of the tragic deaths of Henry and Jessie McBeath.

"They were valued members of our church and the community ever since they moved to the village following their retirement. They will be much missed by us all and we'd like to express our condolences to their family."

One neighbour Alistair Weir said: "It's very sad, a terrible thing.

"They were good neighbours, very very nice people. Very helpful to us when we moved into the street ten years ago.

"When I saw them at weekends, they would be passing on a Sunday morning when they want to the church and they would always say, 'hello'."

A niece Ann Mcghee-Curley paid her tribute saying: "Thinking of my cousins Diane & Evelyn on the loss of their parents, Uncle Henry & Auntie Jessie. May they rest in peace."