TWO children who died when a police car taking them to a refuge was involved in a collision, were not wearing seat belts, an inquest heard yesterday.

Two-year-old Claudette Price and her brother Neza, four, died of head injuries following the accident on an icy road near Witton-le-Wear.

Mother Shelleen Price, 32, had been fleeing her violent husband on Boxing Day 1999, and Bishop Auckland police arranged to take the family, along with Neza's twin brother Sid, from their caravan home at Coundon Grange to a safe house at Consett.

The jury at Durham County Court heard how police agreed to take the family when social services were unable to arrange transport.

However, as they drove down the A68, near Witton-le-Wear, a Renault Scenic containing off-duty policewoman Joanne Robertson and her ten-month-old son spun out of control on ice and hit the police car.

The Renault first clipped a Ford Fiesta travelling in front of the police car.

All three vehicles contained children who were not strapped into their seats.

Mrs Price, now pregnant, wept when footage of the mangled police car was played to the jury, showing paramedics struggling to free her trapped children.

Mrs Price, who now lives in Honeypot Lane, Darlington, confirmed she and her three children were all sitting on the back seat, but were not strapped in.

Outside the court, Mrs Price said: "It has been a terrible time without my kids. I sometimes see them in my sleep and think they are still with me and then I wake up and realise they are not there."

Mrs Price's husband, Carlos, 33, was unable to attend because he is serving a prison sentence for driving offences.

The inquest continues.