A father has paid tribute to his 19-year-old daughter who died in a car accident which also left one of her pals with serious injuries.

Photography student Naomi Gough, of Brighouse, died when her blue Renault Clio smashed into a crash barrier in Halifax.

The car had been a late 18th birthday gift from her parents Steve, 46, and Be, 47.

Naomi's friend, Rachael Parr, 21, a call centre worker from Shelf, is recovering in hospital from her injuries.

Mr Gough said Naomi, the couple's middle child, had been loved by all who knew her.

He said: "She was infectious, always smiling and she loved life.

"We didn't realise how many friends she had until now, it's overwhelming."

Mr Gough said tributes, cards and flowers had been pouring into the family home in Brighouse, where Naomi lived with her parents, older brother Shane, 23, and younger sister Rochelle, 17.

He said: "We even got flowers and a card from a young lad serving in Iraq. It's nice to see she was so popular."

Mr Gough said Naomi had passed her driving test last November.

"She loved it, she loved the freedom, as everybody does. She was a careful driver," he said.

On the day of her death, Naomi and Rachael had enjoyed a day trip to Blackpool before returning home so Naomi could go to work in a pub.

They called in to see her parents and got changed before Naomi drove to work.

Mr Gough said the pair had been good friends.

He said: "They were really close, they had all kinds of plans, like getting somewhere to live together and going on holiday."

He said he and his wife had been relieved to see Naomi after her trip to Blackpool, which was the longest distance she had driven.

Rachael went with Naomi to the pub, where Naomi had some of her photographs on show and for sale.

Mr Gough said she had enjoyed her job, which she had only been doing for about six weeks.

He said: "She was very popular, she loved it. She just loved mixing with people, everybody took to her."

He said Naomi, a former Brighouse High pupil, had been an ambitious person who had put effort into everything she did.

She had already sold some of her photographic work and was still deciding which direction she wanted to take her career after finishing her course at Leeds College of Art and Design.

He said the first photograph to be sold had been of the Billy Bremner statue at Leeds United football club's Elland Road ground.

She had been a season ticket holder at the club for some time in her teens, before other interests such as her love of music, took up more of her time.

Mr Gough said: "She loved music, anything she could dance to, she was very lively.

"She really liked Motown, she had grown up with it."

An inquest was opened into Naomi's death yesterday and arrangements for her funeral are still being made.

Police have appealed for any witnesses who saw Naomi's car in the run-up to the crash on Burdock Way, Halifax, last Wednesday, shortly after 11.40pm.

Officers also want to speak to anyone who saw a yellow Vauxhall Tigra in Halifax town centre between 11.15pm and 11.40pm that night.

Anyone with any information should contact the Halifax helpdesk on (01422) 337059.

e-mail: rebecca.wright @bradford.newsquest.co.uk