FAMILY and friends have gathered at an inquest into the deaths of a family-of-four in Bradford after a father apparently killed his wife and two teenage children before hanging himself.

The bodies of Jitendra Lad, 49, his wife, Daksha Lad, 44, and their daughters, Trisha, 19, and Nisha, 16, were found at their detached home in Clayton last October.

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The family of Mrs Lad sat in the front row of the coroner's court, while her husband's family sat separately in the row behind.

Initial post-mortem examinations showed Mr Lad ''died from compression of the neck caused by hanging'' and autopsies on his wife and daughters revealed they all died in their beds as a result of stab wounds.

Officers said Mr Lad died some time after the rest of his family.

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The deaths in the family's smart, modern house in a quiet cul-de-sac shocked the community.

Bradford coroner Martin Fleming said he would he hearing statements from the Lad's neighbours, both the couple's line-managers at Bradford Council where they worked as clerical officers and from a woman who Mr Lad confided to while on a holiday.

Officers were called to the house in Blackberry Way after a neighbour became concerned that they had not seen anyone there for some time.

Both the girls attended Thornton Grammar School in Bradford and Trisha was in the second year of a biochemistry degree at Leeds University.

Mr Fleming told family in court: "You will be hearing very distressing evidence, indicate to me if you want me to stand matters down or feel free to leave if there are parts of evidence you might find too hard to bear."