Tributes have been paid to a Cambridge office worker after she was killed in an A14 pile-up.

Heather Emma Panter, 31, of All Saints Road, Newmarket, died instantly when the black Ford Focus she was a passenger in was involved in a crash with three lorries.

Her husband, Oliver Panter, who works as an Ofsted registered nanny and who has previously described his wife as "wonderful", was driving the car.

The 26-year-old suffered serious, but not life-threatening injuries and was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital, where he remained yesterday.

Traffic police have launched an investigation into the accident, which happened on the westbound carriageway near Swaffham Bulbeck at about 7am on Thursday.

Mrs Panter had worked in customer services at Booking.com in the Westbrook Centre, Milton Road, Cambridge, since 2011 and staff were devastated by the tragedy.

The company is in contact with her family and has offered them its support.

A spokesman said: "We are very sad about the sudden loss of our valuable and appreciated colleague. We have passed on our condolences to her family and will stay in close contact with them to help out in any way we can."

Drivers caught up in the crash were also left traumatised.

Beca Nelson, 24, who was heading to work in Cambridge, said: "It was still dark and I slowed down and stopped. The man in the car in front of me gave the police his first aid box and they were asking people for coats and blankets.

"I gave them a coat I had in the car. I saw the car. The engine had flown across the road and the roof was gone. I went back to my car and just started shaking. It was horrible."

The three lorries involved in the collision were a white DAS being driven by 24-year-old man from Poland, a white MAN truck driven by a 34-year-old man from Essex and a white Volvo being driven by a 38-year-old man from Hertfordshire.

The carriageway was closed until 4.30pm while police investigations were carried out and the scene was cleared.

No-one has been arrested in connection with the crash.

A police spokesman said: "Police are keen to speak to anyone who saw a vehicle stopped or broken down on the slip road to the junction of the A1303."

Anyone with information should call the Cambridgeshire roads policing unit on 101.