Jeffrey Harrison was a passenger in a car driven by Stuart Green, who was almost twice the legal drink drive limit, when it ploughed into a tree in Preesall last August.

Mr Harrison's mother, Doreen, together with other family members, released a statement after Green was sentenced to almost three years in prison yesterday.

It said: "There isn't a day that goes by we don't think about our son Jeffrey. Our only child has been taken from us.

"We were starting to plan his 18th birthday, but we had to spend the money we had saved on his funeral. Jeffrey was our world, our ray of light. We are destroyed and will never be the same as long as we live.

"Life just seems pointless now. Everything we did was for Jeff."

Preston Crown Court heard how Mr Harrison, 17, died from head injuries after the crash as a group of friends travelled home from a 21st birthday party at a house in Pilling.

Green, 21, had been drinking lager, but stopped when he was persuaded to drive to Garstang.

Hilary Banks, prosecuting, said the defendant had driven to the party in his Vauxhall Corsa hatchback, where he met Mr Harrison and his two friends who he knew from high school.

Mrs Banks added: "It had been intended Jeffrey and his two friends would stay the night at the home of Jeffrey's aunt, but they had a change of mind at the end of the evening."

The car set off at 1.45am on August 12 last year in what one passenger described as "dreadful" conditions on slippery roads. On Burned House Lane, Preesall, Green braked hard. The vehicle started to slide and crashed into a tree.

Efforts were made to resuscitate Mr Harrison but he died before arriving at hospital.

A Lancashire Police accident investigator found low tyre pressure and excess speed may have contributed to the crash.

Paul Humphries, defending, said: "Mr Green has lost a friend in this accident. He stayed at the scene and helped as much as he could."

Passing sentence, Judge Edward Slinger said: "This is a tragedy which can never be wiped out."

Green of Lime Grove, Knott End, was jailed for two years eight months. He had previously admitted causing death by careless driving. Green was also given a five-year driving ban and must pass an extended re-test before being allowed to drive again.