A FRIEND of an Essex woman fighting for life in hospital after a three-car accident last night described her as her "honorary daughter."Linda Dove, 41, was yesterday in a critical but stable condition at Queens Square Hospital, London, after being transferred from Colchester General Hospital.

A FRIEND of an Essex woman fighting for life in hospital after a three-car accident last night described her as her "honorary daughter."

Linda Dove, 41, was yesterday in a critical but stable condition at Queens Square Hospital, London, after being transferred from Colchester General Hospital.

She was involved in a crash on the B1029 near Thorrington Tide Mill just before 7am on May 15 when a red Ford Escort cabriolet was in collision with her silver Hyundai Accent and a blue Vauxhall Cavalier.

The crash was so bad Brightlingsea Road was closed for almost four hours causing schools in the area to shut down for the day.

Firefighters spent almost an hour cutting the Ford Escort driver from the wreckage, who is also in a life-threatening condition at Colchester.

Friends and neighbours in close-knit Brightlingsea said Miss Dove, who lived alone and is a member of one of the town's oldest families, had always been a caring and reserved person.

Neighbour Dorothy Chivers, of Oysters Reach, said Miss Dove, who worked as a caterer at Great Bromley residential home Hamilton Lodge, would do anything for anybody.

"She's a smashing person and has got a wonderful sense of humour. She always comes round here to chat. We moved in around the same time – I think he helped each other.

"I like to think of her as an honorary daughter. She's the last person to deserve this."

Jane Pleass, a school friend of Miss Dove's at Colne High School, said: "She is a very loving person. Her brother Richard must be feeling awful."

Julie Curtis, of Oysters Reach, said she had heard someone had been killed in a crash as she set off for work that day and when she saw Miss Dove's car being loaded on to a truck she thought the worst.

She said: "I went straight to the police station – it was dreadful. She is very caring person, very placid and private person. All she wanted to do that day was go to work.

"She was doing some gardening recently – when her cousin saw what she was doing, she said: 'I thought I would never see it happen'."

Alan Goggin, Mayor Deputy of the Cinque Port Liberty, said he knew Miss Dove's late father, Dennis Dove, well.

He said: "Dennis was a big cheese around here – he was Mayor Deputy to the Cinque Port Liberty of Brightlingsea.

"The family is very established - Linda's brother Richard is captain of the cricket club. Linda is a bit quieter – what's happened is awful."

Last night Richard Dove was by his sister's bedside in hospital.