Tribute to young farmers killed in Gonalston crash

A tribute to two young farmers who were killed in a crash in Nottinghamshire has been paid by a friend.

Harvey Holehouse, 19, and 17-year-old Jake Hankins died in the crash on the A612 in Gonalston on 22 September.

Tom Ware, who worked with Mr Holehouse on a mental health support network called Just Talk Agriculture, said he could "make friends with anyone".

Mr Hankins was described as "an amazing lad, I've never met someone as nice as him".

Mr Ware said the farming community was still reeling from the news.

"We are all in shock, I don't think it has quite hit me yet," he told BBC Radio Nottingham.

Mr Ware said Mr Holehouse, from Woodborough, was well-known in the area.

"He was a bubbly personality, you would always want him around you," he said.

"He could make friends with anyone. You could go to the pub and he'd be off talking to a random bloke at the end of the bar.

"He was a best mate to me, he helped me through a lot of stuff."

After the loss of a friend, the pair set up the social media mental health support network.

Mr Ware said: "Harvey was a massive help with Just Talk Agri, which raises awareness of mental health in agriculture.

"Last year I lost a friend to suicide and Harvey was there for me and he said 'look, we need to do something'.

"So we set the group up and brought together farmers, and Mark Spencer - the minister for rural affairs - and they have put videos together to help."

Mr Ware was also close friends with Mr Hankins, from Stamford, Lincolnshire, who also died at the scene.

"Jake was an amazing lad, I've never met someone as nice as him," he said.

"He'd chat away for hours about what he was going to do in agriculture, all the places he was going to go.

"But he'd also talk to you, about what you were doing and he was part of that community."

Mr Ware said plans for a tribute had been discussed but were on hold "until people have had more time to process what's happened".

Three other people were injured, two seriously.

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