A DRINK-DRIVER who caused the deaths of a six-year-old girl and her grandmother after a pre-Christmas drinks session was facing jail last night.

Pensioner Susan Harty was about twice the legal drinkdrive limit when her red Vauxhall Corsa was involved in a head on collision with a Nissan Micra.

Marion Little, 52, and her granddaughter, Hannah Buck, six, who were in the Micra, died in the crash on the A169 near Briggswath, about five miles from Whitby, North Yorkshire.

Hannah's brother, Harry, two, and sister Emma-Leigh, one, survived after being thrown clear.

Harty, 62, had been driving alone to Whitby, where she and her husband own a wood-carving shop, from her home 100 miles away in Kirkheaton, Huddersfield, at the time of the crash at about 3.45pm on December 20, 2000.

Ms Little, of Sleights, North Yorkshire, had been returning home with her three grandchildren after picking up Hannah from school.

Harty, who was injured in the crash, told police that she had drunk just one glass of wine at lunchtime.

A blood test later showed that she had been about twice the legal drink-drive limit at the time of the crash.

At Leeds Crown Court, she admitted causing the deaths by careless driving when she was over the alcohol limit.

Harty looked shaken when Judge Ian Dobkin told her: "These offences are so serious that prison in almost an inevitability."

The case was adjourned for pre-sentence reports and Harty was released on bail. She is due to be sentenced next month.

Afterwards, it emerged that Hannah's parents, Simon, 29, and Joanne, 27, are expecting another baby in seven weeks' time.

Joanne, whose mother Marion died in the crash, said her other two children were making a good recovery but still suffered from nightmares.