The families of two teenage girls who were swept to their deaths by a fast flowing stream while on a school trip last night expressed their anger after an inquest jury returned a verdict of accidental death.

Hannah Black, 13, and Rochelle Cauvet, 14, died after they lost their footing and were washed down Stainforth Beck, near Settle, North Yorkshire, on October 10, 2000.

The "river walk" activity was part of a residential week planned by their school - Royds School, in Oulton, near Leeds.

Following directions by Assistant North Yorkshire Coroner John Sleightholme, a jury of seven women and three men returned a unanimous verdict of accidental death on both girls.

Earlier, the coroner had told the jury, sitting at Harrogate Magistrates Court, he could not offer them a verdict of unlawful killing by gross negligence because the cases did not meet the criteria.

Following the 14-day hearing, the families spoke of their disappointment and anger at the verdicts.

In a statement, the Cauvet family said they would never forgive those responsible for the tragedy. "The children should never have been allowed near the beck as it was common knowledge that in certain weather conditions the beck was fast flowing and dangerous," they said.

"Local people have confirmed this. Instead, two girls died and it was only sheer luck that more children did not drown too.

"The hardest thing for us to deal with is the knowledge that this tragedy could so easily have been avoided if only thought and commonsense had prevailed."

The statement added: "It is too much to bear - we have lost our daughter Rochelle. We will never forgive those responsible."

In a separate statement, the Black family said the river walk should never have been attempted.

"The Blacks feel there was a singular lack of commonsense being exercised by the two teachers who conducted the river walk in actually entering the beck with the children in the first place."

The inquest was told how schoolteachers Andy Miller and Liz Schofield took 15 teenagers into the beck.

Mr Miller, 48, told the inquest how he desperately tried to save Rochelle as she sped past him in the fast flowing waters.

The teacher, who has taught maths and religious education in a career which started in 1976, broke down in tears as he told the jury how he simply could not hold on to the youngster.

He said he had suffered nightmares since the tragedy and often wondered if he could have done more.

Mr Miller's only qualification in outdoor activities was a council-administered certificate in fell walking.

The inquest was told both Mr Miller and Miss Schofield had never seen LEA or government guidelines on school trips.

Following the verdict, outdoor expert Marcus Sleightholme said that he would be writing to Leeds Education Authority and the Health and Safety Executive offering suggestions on how such accidents could be avoided in the future