A retired couple from Bristol who had stopped in Thailand on their way to start a new life in Australia are among the Britons feared dead in the Phuket plane crash.

Tony Weston, a former Royal Marine, and his wife Judy, a retired nurse, told neighbours that they had won the trip to Thailand in a competition.

They planned to have a holiday in Phuket before completing their journey to Australia, where they were looking forward to meeting their new grandson for the first time.

Jeff Clements, 59, a former neighbour in Hanham, Bristol, said the couple were excited about the trip. They had sold their home and their possessions were being shipped to join them in Australia.

“Tony was really looking forward to going," he said. "He has a son in Australia and he hasn’t seen his grandson yet. He was so excited. In fact, they were both excited that they were starting a new adventurous stage in their lives.

“Tony and Judy were both lovely, chatty people who enjoyed having family over for barbecues. They were very family-oriented people, which I think is why they were emigrating.

“Judy was a keen gardener and Tony loved his DIY. If they’ve died over there in that plane crash then it’s very sad.”

Another neighbour, Dominic Hutchinson, a student in his twenties, said the couple were always organised and on time, so were unlikely to have missed the flight.

He said: “Knowing them, if they were supposed to be on that flight, they would have been. They’re not the kind of people to be late. If they were less organised, they might have missed it and still be alive.”

Between them the couple, both in their sixties, have five children by previous relationships. Mrs Weston’s married daughter, Diane Evans, works as a midwife in Queensland. There is also a son.

Mr Weston’s three children include a son, who had also moved to Sydney and recently had a son himself.

The couple sold their three-bedroom semi-detached house this month to fund their new life and stayed in bed and breakfasts until they left. One of the daughters had flown out to Australia only two weeks ago to prepare for their arrival.

The couple flew out to Thailand last Thursday, after winning the flight, before taking the journey to Phuket on Sunday.

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