The man accused of causing the death of a pregnant mum and seriously injuring two young boys following a crash on a motorway has been granted bail.

Adil Iqbal, 22, of Hope Street, Accrington, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving and two offences of causing serious injury by dangerous driving following the incident on the M66 in Bury last week. 

On May 13, emergency services were called to a crash between two vehicles on the M66.

Frankie Hough, 38, from Chadderton, Oldham, her two children, Tommy, nine and Rocky, two, and her nephew, Tobias, four, were in the car at the time, but Frankie, who was pregnant, later died of her injuries.

The opening of her inquest earlier today heard how it's believed Frankie had pulled onto the hard shoulder to take a phone call prior to the collision.

At a bail application hearing at Manchester's Minshull Street Crown Court today (May 24), Iqbal was granted bail with a number of conditions.

He will next appear on June 19, with a provisional trial date set for October.

Also today, at Rochdale Coroner's Court, assistant coroner Matthew Cox opened the inquest into the death of Frankie.

The court heard from police coroner's officer Tracy Bunn, who said on May 13, the mum was on the M66 heading towards Manchester when she pulled over to the hard shoulder.

PCO Bunn said it is believed she was answering a phone call.

She said a car "travelling at excessive speed lost control and crashed" into the back of Frankie's car.

Frankie, who lived in Edgeware Road, Chadderton, was taken to Royal Preston Hospital with life-threatening injuries and died two days later on May 15.

PCO Bunn gave the cause of death as "head injuries".

She added an investigation is currently underway and a man, Adil Iqbal, had been charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

The conditions of Iqbal's bail include abiding by an electronically-monitored curfew; surrendering his passport; reporting to a local police station three times a week, and  residing at his home address in Hope Street, Accrington.

He must also not apply for travel documents and was made the subject of an interim driving ban.