Elaine Reason and daughter Grace, died when tree crushed car

Elaine and Grace Reason's family said they "touched many hearts and will remain with us and others forever"

A mother and her teenage daughter were killed when a decaying tree fell on to their car, an inquest has heard.

Elaine Reason, 56, and Grace, 16, died when the tree crushed their Land Rover Freelander at Stanway Hill, near Winchcombe, on 21 November 2019.

Gloucestershire Coroner's Court heard the tree's roots were decayed and could no longer support the tree.

Assistant Gloucestershire coroner Roland Wooderson concluded that they died as a result of an accident.

Ms Reason was driving on the B4077 with her daughter as a front seat passenger at about 22:15 GMT when the mature beech tree uprooted and crushed the car in medium wind, the inquest heard.

Ms Reason and her daughter suffered multiple injuries and died at the scene

Gloucestershire Police launched an investigation into the management of the tree and commissioned an independent expert, the court was told.

Arboriculture consultant Simon Cox said the tree was visually inspected in 2013 and an ultrasound test to examine internal decay found it was in the "acceptable" range.

It was inspected again in 2017 with no "overall change" but annual inspections were recommended due to its high-risk location near the road.

However, Mr Cox said he could find no evidence of further inspections and said the heatwave in 2018 "sped up the tree's decline".

The tree fell on the B4077 at Stanway Hill, near Winchcombe

"Mr Cox is of the opinion the tree had been showing signs of distress and could fail for a number of years previously," said the coroner.

"If the recommendation of annual inspection was in place, Mr Cox is of the opinion the tree would have been identified in 2018 or 2019 as requiring felling or severe pruning to prevent it from falling," added Mr Wooderson.

The court heard police interviewed two people in relation to the investigation but took no further action and neither did the Health and Safety Executive.

Mr Wooderson said: "The sad conclusion is one of accidental death."