A huge tree crushed two friends to death when it fell on their car as they drove home from a fishing trip.

Geoffrey Sugden Wood, 75, and Jeffrey Hainsworth, 60, were travelling along Woodhead Road, Berry Brow, Huddersfield, when the 100-year-old tree fell from a banking and flattened the vehicle they were in.

Coroner Roger Whittaker recorded a verdict of accidental death in the cases of both men.

The incident took place on January 31 at around 4.05pm, the inquest hearing at Huddersfield was told.

Mr Wood, of Clifton Common, Brighouse, was driving a silver Toyota Carina and Mr Hainsworth, of Oaklands, Rastrick, was his passenger.

Alan Grimshaw, who was driving a vehicle behind the men, told the inquest: "It looked like it was coming down in slow motion. It reached a certain point where it just fell like a stone. It was the biggest one of the lot - 60ft or so tall. It spanned the whole road."

Mr Grimshaw said the driver could not have seen the tree fall or done anything to avoid it . He said the weather was "rather windy" and had earlier caused him to slow down.

Linda Hopkinson, who was driving a car behind Mr Grimshaw, said: "I thought the tree was going to hit my car so I slammed my foot on the brake and screamed. It came down extremely quickly."

Five minutes before the accident, a strong gust of wind had rocked her car, she said.

Sergeant Howard Buckley passed the scene minutes before the accident and said twigs and leaves had been blowing around but there had been no sign of fallen trees or branches.

Traffic officer PC Andrew Oversby said a red Volvo travelling in the opposite direction had also been caught by the tree's branches. The driver, Muriel Stott, received minor injuries when her car roof was caved in on her head.

James MacDonald, a senior tree officer with Kirklees Council, said beech trees had shallow roots and this tree had a fungal infection

"It may not have blown over had it not had this infection, but it may have still blown over with the wind. It's impossible to predict which trees are going to fall over," he said.

Dr Patricia Gudgeon carried out post mortems and said both men had died instantly from their head injuries.