THE younger sister of two teenagers killed in a car crash has paid tribute to her brothers in a moving ceremony at their former Fenland school.

The family of Matthew and Mitchell Jacobs sobbed as 16-year-old Abbie described her brothers as “fun and loving boys with big hearts” during the unveiling of a memorial plaque at Cromwell Community College, in Chatteris, on Wednesday.

Mitchell, 18, and Matthew, 19, died in August when their car ploughed into a concrete mixer as they tried to avoid a 26-tonne truck.

Helped by her teachers and aunt, Kathy Simmons, the boys’ sister Abbie organised the school memorial ceremony as a surprise for her parents.

Speaking in front of her teachers, family and friends, Abbie said: “Matthew and Mitchell were two fun and loving boys with big hearts and a great sense of humour.

“They are sadly missed by all those who knew them and losing them has left us with broken hearts.”

The boys’ parents, grandmother, cousin and aunt were joined by Mitchell’s 16-year-old girlfriend, Kimberley Overall, as Graham Wallace, Area Manager of Funeral Directors JH Landin, presented Abbie with the plaque.

A poem inscribed on it read: “Our hearts ache with sadness, Tears they often flow, What it meant to love you, No one will ever know.”

The boys’ mother, Rose Jacobs, said: “The ceremony was a complete surprise for us and an incredibly nice one. Abbie has shown such maturity and we are immensely proud of her.

“We are a big family and we are very close. It is something that we will never get over but it means everything to us that our boys are being remembered. They had fond memories of this school.”

The family thanked the funeral directors and all the staff at Cromwell Community College - especially Mrs Allen, Mrs Cox and Mr Terry - for their “support and understanding”.

The plaque was fixed to the walls of the school’s corridor, next to the Remembrance Garden.

Mrs Jacobs added: “Some of the boys’ cousins will be coming to the school in years to come and they will see that plaque and remember.”