The children of a Bradford couple who died four years ago when a 200-year-old ash tree fell on their car are set to receive substantial compensation.

Paul Holliday, 33, and his common-law wife Elaine Bell, 40, were killed in the freak incident when the tree crushed the front of their car in October 1996, London's High Court was told.

Their son Luke, now seven, was a back-seat passenger in the car driven by his father and miraculously survived receiving only cuts and bruises.

The tragedy happened in Chat Hill Road, Thornton, when winds felled the tree on top of the Ford Escort. Firemen used airbags to support the weight of the tree before moving it off the car.

Also bereaved by the tragedy were Mrs Bell's two other children by her estranged husband, a girl and a boy, now aged 20 and 18, and two more children by Mr Holliday's previous marriage, both boys, now aged 18 and 15.

The estates of the deceased couple sued the owners of the land on which the ash tree stood - Gilbert and Joan Brown, of Leighton Buzzard in Bedfordshire.

And yesterday at London's High Court, Mr Simon Levene, representing the estates, said it had been agreed the couple's dependants would receive compensation on the basis of 70 per cent of a full valuation of their claim.

The agreement was reached without any admission of liability by Mr and Mrs Brown.

Paul, a former milkman and a butcher by trade, and Elaine rented a house in Short Way, Thornton. Relatives said at the time they were on their way to visit Paul's aunt in Wyke when the accident happened. Since the accident, orphaned Luke has been cared for by relatives.

Unless settlement terms are agreed in the meantime, the amount of damages will have to be assessed at another court hearing, but the pay-outs are likely to be substantial.