His family paid tribute to him as a "loving husband and father" in a statement issued through the police.

He was described as "a caring and thoughtful man who would always prioritise others over himself".

"Stephen will be sadly missed by all his friends and family. The family have requested privacy at this devastating time," they added.

On a crowdfunding page to pay for his funeral, his sister-in-law, Emily, said he was "suffering medical issues" while at the wheel.

By late Saturday morning, just over £9,000 had been raised, breaking the £6,000 target.

Barbara Flynn-Southern, a director at The Port Grocery CIC - a charity that Mr Shrimpton worked for, told Sky News he was "an all round good guy who will be sorely missed by a lot of people".

Having volunteered as a driver for the company during the first COVID lockdown, Mr Shrimpton worked "endlessly" and briefly became a full time employee, delivering food and supporting vulnerable people within the local community.

"He wasn't just a driver, he was so much more than just one of our drivers, he took care of people as well," Ms Flynn-Southern said.

"He was working for a coach company, but he would always pop in and say hello, he was just one of those guys. We called him 'Shrimpy' and that's how we will remember him."

Jessica Baker, 15, was also killed in the crash.

The bus overturned on the M53 on the Wirral on Friday morning.

Post-mortem examinations will be carried out next week to establish the causes of death, police said.

Detective Sergeant Andy Roper, of the Serious Collision Investigation Unit, said: "The families of Stephen and Jessica are being supported by specially trained officers."

He appealed for witnesses, adding: "We also urge those who were driving near the incident to check your dashcam footage. Any information no matter how small could help the investigation."

Read more from Sky News:
Man and woman die after car driven into flooded area
Girl, 15, dies after swimming in Merseyside reservoir

Four children were taken to hospital and a 14-year-old boy is said to have sustained life-changing injuries.

Other pupils were taken to an emergency services training centre in Wallasey, with 13 treated for minor injuries.

Police said 58 people were involved in the crash.

The bus had been carrying pupils from two Merseyside schools - Calday Grange all-boys grammar school and West Kirby all-girls grammar school.

Police said there were more children on other buses travelling in convoy with the one that crashed.

All those involved will be offered trauma support and family liaison officers are supporting relatives.