A car overtook police at high speed just minutes before it crashed into a tree in Wyke, killing two brothers who were inside it, an inquest heard.

A black Ford Focus, in which Christopher Blowman, 31, and his serving soldier brother Sam Blowman, 27, were travelling, had failed to stop for blue lights moments earlier in Manchester Road.

Yesterday Bradford coroner Dr Peter Straker heard how police officers had been travelling in the Wyke direction on May 29 when they were overtaken by the car at very high speed.

“The officers decided to stop the vehicle to speak to the driver and activated their blue lights but the driver failed to stop and the car was quickly lost from their view,” said senior coroner’s officer Alan Pritchard.

“About four minutes later there was a witness driving in Woodside Road, Wyke, who saw a vehicle at high speed swerve in the road and collide with a tree,” added Mr Pritchard.

Emergency services were called to the scene and it was soon established the car was the same Ford Focus that had overtaken the police earlier, it had been extensively damaged.

Because of the circumstances the case was referred to the Independent Police Complaints Commission but the investigation was handed back to West Yorkshire Police, the inquest was told.

Forensic post mortems found the brothers both died from severe multiple injuries, the older one being certified dead at Bradford Royal Infirmary’s Accident & Emergency unit at 12.45am on May 30 while his brother, a private with the 1st battalion The Yorkshire Regiment, died at the scene of the collision at 12.08am.

Toxicology tests for alcohol and drugs are now routinely being carried out and the full inquest was adjourned for a future date.

Cremation orders were signed for the family to go ahead with the funerals which will be at Elland.

Mr Pritchard told the inquest that the family had wanted some military involvement.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman confirmed Pte Blowman would be having a military funeral next week.