Inquest date set for Sheffield police officer and woman killed in horror Christmas Day crash

PC Dave Fields, 45, and Lorraine Stephenson, 61, died in a crash on the A57 near Coisley Hill Roundabout and the Shirebrook Valley Nature Reserve, close to the Mosborough Parkway just after 8.15pm on December 25, 2017.

Sheffield Senior Coroner Christopher Dorries arranged for their inquests to be held in February at a pre-inquest review hearing on Wednesday.

Mr Dorries said he expected the inquests, which will hear from around six witnesses, to begin on February 11.

He said they were expected to last around seven days.

No decision was made on whether they would be separate hearings or not.

The coroner also set a provisional back-up date for May, in case a report from the Independent Office for Police Conduct is not served to the court in time.

Speaking during the hearing at Sheffield Coroner's Court, Mr Dorries said: "I will do whatever I can to make it easier for both families. It's bad enough being here."

He said the February date would see the inquests held by Assistant Coroner David Urpet and, if delayed until the May dates, it would be Mr Dorries.

Mr Dorries made a direction for the IOPC report to be served to the court by February 1, 2019.

He also set another pre-inquest review hearing, which will be third since PC Fields' and Mrs Stephenson's deaths.

Dad-of-two PC Fields was also a well-known football referee and was vice-chairman of Sheffield Referees' Association.

PC Fields was driving a marked BMW 3 series and Mrs Stephenson was the passenger in a silver Citroen C3 travelling in the opposite direction.