A PENSIONER has died in a Southampton hospital following a head-on crash on the A35.

Police confirmed 89-year-old man Herbert Thorn had died this morning as a result of the injuries sustained in the collision on Sunday at Hinton.

Mr Thorn, of Saxonford Road, Christchurch, died from his injuries after the car he was a passenger in was involved in a collision with another vehicle.

His family have now released the following tribute:

"On Sunday 30 August, Mr Herbert Thorn was tragically killed as a passenger in a car crash in the New Forest. Mr Thorn has lived in the Christchurch area for over forty years. He is survived by his wife and two sons."

Five people were injured in the collision on the A35 near New Milton, which closed the road for several hours from the Ringwood Road junction, just beyond the Cat and Fiddle pub at Hinton, to the B3055 junction.

A Ford Fiesta and a Honda Civic collided near to Dream Design on Lyndhurst Road.

One person in each vehicle had to be freed by Hampshire fire crews. The remaining three casualties had got out of the vehicles unaided.

All five were taken by road to Southampton General Hospital.

Two whippets which had been travelling in the Ford Fiesta were cared for by members of the public after their owners were taken to hospital.

One of the dogs suffered a leg injury and an animal ambulance was also called.

Traffic was diverted through parts of the New Forest while emergency services dealt with the scene.

At one point there were five police cars, two fire engines, an air ambulance, an animal ambulance, a police support vehicle and local authority vehicles present.

Witnesses or anyone with information about this collision should call the Roads Policing Unit (RPU) at Totton police station by phoning 101 and quoting Operation Verbatim.