PARENTS have told of their grief and pride in their daughter who died in a car accident in the Middle East.

Caroline Hughes, 25, and her partner, Luke Griffiths, 27, from Northampton, were killed in the crash involving a camel in Dubai earlier this month.

A Hartlepool inquest yesterday heard that Caroline's brother, Andrew Hughes, 22, was also seriously hurt.

Andrew Hughes' partner Lyndsay MacDonald, 22, from Hartburn, Stockton was miraculously unscathed.

After the inquest, Caroline's father, Barry Hughes, said his son was released from hospital but is still recovering at his home in Dubai and may not be able to attend his sister's funeral. The family are from Redmarshall, near Stockton.

Caroline Hughes and her partner had been on holiday visiting her brother and Miss MacDonald in Dubai. The accident happened on Wednesday, October 8, when a camel ran in front of driver Andrew Hughes' new Honda Civic.

Following the accident Mr Hughes and his wife Christine flew to Dubai where doctors asked them not to tell Andrew Hughes his sister had died.

Mother Christine Hughes said: "That was extremely hard. Andrew was in and out of consciousness but kept on asking, 'how's Caroline?' but we hadn't to tell him the truth for fear it would affect his recovery. He has 40 stitches in his head and three cracked vertebrae."

Mr Hughes paid tribute to his daughter. He said: "Every time she entered a room she brought happiness and fun into it. We've had more than 100 letters and cards, every one remembering her enthusiasm for life. Every time I see one of those it destroys me."

The parents, both 57 and originally from Hartlepool, said the family moved to Sedgefield before settling in Redmarshall. Caroline Hughes, who was working as an administrative executive in London at Ernst and Young Accountants, had been head girl at St Patrick's RC Primary School, in Stockton.

She went on to Our Lady and St Bede RC Secondary School where she received her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award with her parents at St James's Palace in London. She also played the euphonium in Cleveland Youth Wind Orchestra before gaining an economics degree at Nottingham University.

Hartlepool coroner Malcolm Donnelly heard Caroline died the day after the accident of a cardiac arrest and had sustained serious head injuries. He recorded a verdict of accidental death.