NO-ONE is to be prosecuted over a road accident that claimed the lives of a motorcycle pillion passenger and her unborn child.

Police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) have confirmed that no action will be taken in relation to the death of Alison Reay and her unborn son, Thomas.

The 39-year-old was seven months pregnant with her fourth child when she died last November when her husband, David, lost control of his powerful 1,000 cc Aprillia machine.

He was overtaking a milk tanker when the motorbike hit a traffic island on the A688, near junction 61 of the A1(M) at Bowburn, near Durham, before colliding with an oncoming Iveco van.

Mr Reay, 51, a former soldier, of Lambton Terrace, Stanley, who worked as an HGV driver, was arrested after the crash on suspicion of causing death by careless driving.

The tanker driver, a 59-year-old man from Bishop Auckland, was also arrested for the same offence.

A police spokeswoman said: “Following a thorough investigation into the collision, police prepared and submitted a file to the CPS.

“The CPS decision was that no further action should be taken against the two men arrested following the collision."

Chris Enzor, deputy chief crown prosecutor of the CPS North-East, said: “The CPS has decided not to prosecute either the driver of the tanker of the rider of the motorcycle.”

Mrs Reay’s older brother, Robert Thompson, 47, of Craghead, said his sister’s death has had a devastating impact on the family, who had been looking forward to the birth of Thomas.

He said: “I had a really close bond with sister. The day before the accident she came to see me and my partner and she was over the moon because she had had a 3D scan of the baby.

“Everything was fine and then she goes out the next day and this happens. She wanted to go on the bike as they had just got it and so they did.

“She was head strong like that.”

The coroner has been informed and an inquest will be held to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the crash.