A CORONER made a safety plea to young drivers after an inquest into the death of two cousins whose car crashed into trees.

Michael Singleton, coroner for Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, spoke after stock car driver Samuel Lund, 19, and 16-year-old James Dewhurst's joint inquest.

The hearing was told the cousins died after the Peugeot 205 they were in collided with trees on January 13 in Rimington Lane, Rimington.

An accident investigator who attended the scene said it appeared that Samuel, who was driving, had not been wearing his seatbelt.

Mr Singleton said it was all too familiar for him to be faced with parents of young men killed because of incidents such as this.

He said: "As a father myself I can very much relate to incidents like this.

"You can teach them to drive but you can not give them the experience, they can only get that from being behind the wheel of a car.

"The evidence is that Samuel was not wearing a seatbelt and it can only be speculation to think if he was wearing it the outcome could have been different.

"For young drivers, given their lack of experience, the last thing they can afford to do is not wear a seatbelt.

"They will always drive at speeds that are not safe, that is the nature of being a young male but it is imperative that everyone should wear a seatbelt at all times."

Speaking after the inquest Samuel's father, John Lund, a multiple world stock car champion who still completes on tracks throughout Britain, said it had been a tragic waste of life.

He said: "It's just a real waste of two such grand lads. We are no clearer as to what really happened on that night."

The inquest heard how the two cousins were travelling on Rimington Lane towards the A682 just after 8pm when the accident happened.

James, of Rimington Lane, suffered massive head injuries and died at the scene.

Samuel, from Gisburn, who was described at the hearing as a good driver, was thrown through the front window of the vehicle and died five days later in the Royal Blackburn Hospital from brain injuries.

Stephen Wilson, the accident investigator who attended the incident, told the inquest the crash occurred at the crest of a hill as the road curved slightly to the right.

He said the road was wet so there were no markings to show that harsh braking had occurred, but he said that when the car hit the trees he was sure it was travelling below the 60mph speed limit.

Mr Wilson said: "Had the driver's belt been in use this may have prevented the driver being thrown from the vehicle and lessened the extent of the injuries."

A verdict of accidental death was returned in both cases.