Inquest into deaths of young British band Viola Beach to begin

An inquest into the deaths of up-and-coming British band Viola Beach will take place later today.

All four members of the Warrington band - Kris Leonard, River Reeves, Tomas Lowe and Jack Dakin - were killed alongside their manager Craig Tarry when their hire car plunged 25 metres off a bridge into a canal in Sweden.

The men, aged between 19 and 35, were 18 miles from the capital Stockholm when the Nissan Qashqai plunged into the canal in the early hours of February 13 after the band had finished a gig.

Officers were called to the incident at about 2.30am and reports from Sweden at the time said the car had gone through a barrier of a bridge that had opened to let a boat pass underneath.

The barrier, 50 metres before the opening, had flashing lights and warning signs, according to police in Stockholm.

Viola Beach, who had featured on BBC Introducing, a programme showcasing up-and-coming music artists, described themselves as an "indie pop" band.

Their debut album was posthumously released and their debut single Swings & Waterslides entered the official singles chart, topping the iTunes chart as tributes poured in from the music world.

After the crash, a statement from the families of the band's members said: "We are tremendously proud of everything the boys achieved in such a short space of time.

"Craig, Jack, Kris, River and Tom shared a huge passion, talent and dedication to music."

The day-long inquest begins at Warrington Coroner's Court later.