A DEFECTIVE tyre may have been partially responsible for a horrific crash which led to the death of a security guard.

Eric William Woodward suffered multiple injuries in the crash on the A181 when he was thrown from his car and was found beneath a nearby hedge.

An inquest into his death yesterday heard that Mr Woodward's Vauxhall Vectra lost control on a bend as he made his way to work from his home in Jarvis Road, Peterlee, at about 4.30pm on September 14.

Lee Anthony Reid, from Sherburn Village, told the inquest at Chester-le-Street Magistrates' Court that he had been following Mr Woodward's car along the twisting country road towards Durham City at about 60mph.

Mr Reid slowed his vehicle because he knew the road to be difficult, but said the Vauxhall in front of him continued to pull away.

Mr Reid told Durham Coroner Andrew Tweddle: "I saw he was going a bit fast, then I saw him spin."

The 43-year-old's car collided side on with a black Passat driven by 55-year-old Thomas Doherty, who was taking his grandson to Peterlee.

Mr Doherty had already had to stop his car once during the trip, in a storm.

He told the inquest: "I said 'This guy has lost control' and I saw it swerve.

"I could see him struggling, and I thought he had got it under control, but then it spun across the road and came straight across me."

The impact was so great that Mr Woodward, who was not wearing a seatbelt, was thrown from the car and the Vauxhall's engine was catapulted about 30ft into a field.

The car's speedometer jammed at 55mph, but PC Ian Haigh told the hearing the speed when the car lost control was likely to have been higher.

He said that the car's rear offside tyre had insufficient tread, and added: "That certainly would have an adverse effect on the vehicle's handling, given the speed and road conditions, which were wet with standing water in places."

Recording a verdict of accidental death, MrTweddle said: "The defective rear tyre is not to blame for the accident, but it certainly did not help matters.

"There was a combination of bad weather, possibly going a bit too fast, he has lost control and tried to compensate, so the weight has transferred to the defective tyre and made a difficult situation even worse.

"The result was that he has lost control totally."