Community leaders in Newmarket have expressed their sadness after two men were killed following a car crash in the town.

Police were called just before 2.50am today to reports a vehicle had been discovered in a ditch on Dullingham Road, near the railway line.

On arrival, officers found that the vehicle - a purple Volvo S40 - appeared to have collided with a tree and was sitting almost vertically in the ditch.

Two men were found dead inside the vehicle. Police said their next of kin have been informed.

Fire and ambulance crews also attended the scene and the road was closed for the majority of the day while a crash investigation took place.

Rachel Hood, mayor of Newmarket and district councillor, said: "It's a terrible tragedy.

"My sympathies go out to the families and loved ones of the victims.

"It also makes you feel incredibly grateful for the police for assisting in such sad incidents."

Andy Drummond, district councillor for Newmarket West, also offered his sympathies following the crash.

"I'm very sad to hear it," he said.

"My condolences to their families at this time."

The crash means that 21 people have now been killed in a total of 20 fatal crashes on Suffolk's roads in 2019.

This is already a 16% increase on the number of fatalities in the whole of last year.

In 2018, a total of 18 people died in 17 fatal crashes on the county's roads.

A spokesman for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "Two ambulances and an ambulance officer vehicle were called to a road traffic collision at Dullingham Road, Newmarket in the early hours of September 3.

"Sadly, despite the best efforts of all involved, two men had died at the scene."

Any witnesses, or anyone who believes they may have seen a car matching the description driving in the Newmarket area either on Monday night, or early on Tuesday morning, is asked to contact police on 101, quoting CAD 36 of September 3.