Staffordshire Police officers acted appropriately ahead of fatal crash on A460

William Craddock was a rear seat passenger in the car when it crashed also killing driver Kaya Morrison-Taylor

Police acted appropriately when pursuing a car before it crashed, killing two occupants, a watchdog has concluded.

William Craddock and Kaya Morrison-Taylor, from Walsall, died at the scene in Essington, Staffordshire, at about 04:00 BST in August 2021.

Investigators said evidence suggested Mr Morrison-Taylor did not stop for an unmarked car, prompting the pursuit.

He lost control of his Audi on a bend, hitting a telegraph pole and a tree.

An inquest in Stafford, which concluded on Friday, determined that the men, both aged 22, died as a result of a road traffic collision, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) said.

A third man, a front seat passenger, who was injured in the crash was given first aid by officers and survived.

The pursuit began after the Audi S3 failed to stop for the unmarked car which had pulled up behind it in Backcrofts car park in Cannock on 1 August, the IOPC said.

Staffordshire Police officers wanted to speak to the occupants in connection with an alleged assault.

The crash happened on the A460 near Wood Hayes Road in August 2021

The Audi turned into Avon Road as a second unmarked police car approached, which then led the pursuit for about four and a half minutes before stopping when officers lost sight of it about a mile and a half from where it crashed.

The IOPC said police then came across the collision scene on the A460 close to the junction with Wood Hayes Road, near Wolverhampton.

A road traffic collision report showed there was no contact at any point between the two police vehicles and the car, while the Audi was calculated to have been travelling at speeds in excess of 120 mph between Cannock and the scene of the collision, the watchdog added.

Derrick Campbell, IOPC regional director for the West Midlands, said his thoughts were with the families of the two men who "tragically" lost their lives.

"Our investigation was independent of the police and aimed to establish what happened in the lead up to the collision. We found the officers acted appropriately and in line with procedures," he said.

"The evidence we gathered was provided to the coroner to assist with the inquest proceedings, which we hope has helped answer some of the families' questions about that night."