AN elderly couple died after their car smashed into a pub, an inquest heard.

John and Edna Pilling, of Markland Hill Lane, Bolton, were travelling along Chorley Old Road when the accident happened last October.

Emergency services were called to the scene and took the couple to the Royal Bolton Hospital.

Mrs Pilling, aged 78, a retired shop assistant, suffered serious multiple injuries and was pronounced dead on arrival. Her husband, aged 80, died a short time afterwards.

The inquest heard yesterday how the couple were approaching the Doffcocker pub in their Proton car when the incident happened.

Motorist Trevor Crompton was travelling behind the Pillings and reported seeing a car on the opposite side of the road, waiting to turn into Doffcocker Lane, "kangaroo" forward into the direction of the oncoming traffic. Mr Pilling swerved to avoid the vehicle - a silver Renault Laguna - and, in doing so, left the road and ploughed into the Doffcocker pub.

Mr Crompton took down part of the Laguna's number plate - LV04.

Police later tracked down three vehicles that had similar partial registration numbers to the Laguna.

The driver of one, Christopher Barnes, came forward and spoke to police about the incident.

He told the inquest he was in the area at the time but had not seen a crash.

The other two Lagunas were ruled out of the inquiry.

A post-mortem examination carried out on Mr Pilling revealed that the crash had caused injuries, but the cause of death was a brain haemorrhage unrelated to the accident.

Police also told the inquest they could find no evidence that Mr Pilling had braked or made attempts to avoid the pub wall, which he hit at 30mph.

Deputy coroner Alan Walsh said it was difficult to comment on the role the Renault Laguna may or may not have played immediately before the collision, but on the balance of probabilities, he believed the brain haemhorrage had caused Mr Pilling's death.

He recorded a verdict of death by natural causes on Mr Pilling, and accidental death for Mrs Pilling.

Speaking after the inquest, the Pillings' sons, David, Jon and Gary, said that while they had to accept the verdict, they were not satisfied.

They said there were still underlying questions over the involvement of a Laguna.

Gary Pilling added: "It won't bring mum and dad back, but it would help the family to know what happened."