VERDICTS of accidental death have been recorded on two Otley 18-year-olds who died after their car hit concrete railings.

Driver Nigel Rhodes and front seat passenger Adrian Davison died shortly after their dangerously-corroded Vauxhall Nova went out of control and hit concrete post and rail fencing on the A660 Leeds Road, Bramhope just after midnight on November 4 last year.

At Leeds Coroners Court last week, family and friends of the two young men heard the car had hit the fence with such force that the engine, gear box and exhaust had become detached from the car and been left in the middle of the road.

West Yorkshire Police Accident investigator PC Kevin Wetherby pointed out that the car was badly rusted and warned of the consequences of young drivers faced with high insurance costs having to buy often sub-standard cars.

At Thursday's inquest, the court heard that Mr Rhodes, an apprentice plasterer of Billams Hill, was almost twice over the drink-drive limit as was Mr Davison, an apprentice Joiner of Cambridge Terrace. Both had been smoking a cannabis cigarette earlier in the evening.

The two had spent the evening with two friends, Jaime Waite and Matthew Newall, and had been drinking in Otley and Headingley. After dropping off Mr Waite and Mr Newall, the two friends were on their way back out of Otley towards Leeds when the accident happened.

Mr Rhodes was driving at least 10mph over the 40mph speed limit when he overtook another car. He was forced to turn sharply to avoid a bollard in the middle of the road and another car coming towards him from the opposite direction.

Witnesses said the car appeared to have made the difficult manoeuvre but then go out of control, 'wobble' and veer into the concrete railings at the side of the road close to the junction with High Ridge Way.

Witness Alex Lee, who was driving home to Shadwell from work in Otley, lifted his foot off his car's accelerator and pulled into the near-side of the road to give the Nova space to get between his car and the bollard.

In a statement to the court, Mr Lee, who works in his family's Chinese takeaway in Weston Lane, said he realised the Nova was in danger of hitting the bollard and tried to give it room to get through.

Mr Lee, who said it appeared that the Nova was being driven 'by a madman' said the car wobbled after passing him and veered into the concrete fence.

Timothy Wilson, a teacher and retained fireman, was returning home to Otley with his family after a day out in Sheffield.

He told the court he saw the Nova coming towards him at high speed and described the style of driving as that of a 'boy racer'.

He believed the size of his car, a Mitsubishi Shogun, meant that Mr Rhodes had no alternative but to rejoin his side of the road and take the route he did.

Mr Wilson said he remembered thinking the driver of the Nova had been lucky to miss the bollard, but on looking in his rear view mirror saw that the car had gone out of control and hit the fence.

He said there had been a loud noise and an 'explosion' as the car had hit the fence.

He saw the car bounce in the road and noticed that the engine had become detached from the car and was left in the middle of the road.

PC David Jelley, of Weetwood Road Traffic Police, said Mr Rhodes and Mr Davison had spent the evening drinking with two other friends in Otley and in Headingley.

He said after dropping off their friends, Mr Rhodes and Mr Davison for an unexplained reason left Otley once more.

In a statement to police, Jamie Waite, said Mr Rhodes was a careful driver who had not drunk excessively during the evening.

He added despite Mr Rhodes sharing a cannabis cigarette with Mr Davison, he considered his driving was still safe.

Coroner David Hinchliff recorded a verdict of accidental death and warned of the 'lethal combination' of young drivers and alcohol.

Mr Hinchliff, who described the deaths as 'tragic' said it was every parent's dilemma when faced with their 17 or 18 year olds wish to drive.

"Children become independent and they want to start to learn to drive and at 17 or 18 they don't perceive the dangers."

He said Mr Rhodes had not anticipated the traffic bollard in the middle of the road and had lost control after being forced to make a harsh steering manoeuvre.

Mr Hinchliff added that he could not rule out the severe corrosion of the car might have contributed to the handling of the car.