GRIEVING families have paid tribute to two men tragically killed at a Merseyside factory.

Thomas Elmer, 27, and James Bibby, 25, have officially been confirmed as the agency workers who died at Sonae UK Ltd, in Kirkby, on Tuesday. The men, who are from Waterfoot, in Rossendale, Lancashire, are understood to have been dragged into the machinery of a huge silo in the plant.

They died almost instantly and an investigation led by safety bosses is now under way into how the incident happened.

Yesterday, Mr Bibby’s heartbroken family described him as “full of fun with a big heart”.

A statement read: “James was a devoted, loving and caring son, brother, grandson and nephew.

“We were all extremely proud of him, he was not only a son but a friend.”

The family of Thomas Elmer described the 27-year-old as “the life and soul of the party”.

The engineer notably completed the Times Clipper round-the-world race nine years ago.

His distraught family said: “Tom was a devoted loving and caring son, brother and partner, who enjoyed life to the full.”