NO criminal charges will be brought in connection with a horrific crash that claimed the lives of five members of the same family more than two years ago, The Northern Echo can reveal.

Three generations of the family, from Ouston, near Chester-le-Street, County Durham, died on Friday, April 12, 2013, when their car collided head-on with a lorry near Grimsby as they were heading to a dance competition in Skegness.

The crash took the lives of dad David Cockburn, 48, a care home manager, his wife Angela, 49, who ran a beauty salon, and daughters Bethany, 18, and hairdresser Carley Ann, 21, both keen dancers. Bethany's 23-month-old daughter, Lacie Stephenson was also killed.

Detective Chief Inspector Matthew Baldwin of Humberside Police said yesterday (Tuesday, July 14): “The Crown Prosecution Service has considered the circumstances of the collision on the A18 in North Lincolnshire in April 2013 in which five members of the same family tragically died.

“A decision has now been made and no criminal charges will be brought in connection with the incident. The family and the coroner have been notified accordingly.”

The family’s Nissan Primera and a light goods vehicle collided near the Oaklands Hotel on the A18 near Laceby, Humberside.

Three of the family died at the scene and two died later in Grimsby’s Diana, Princess of Wales Hospital.

The lorry driver suffered minor injuries.

Mr Cockburn worked at Birtley’s AEI Cable factory, before switching career to be a care manager for disabled adults at Gateshead Council.

Just before the crash, Carley was overjoyed to announce she had gained dance work with a company that would see her travel around the world.

Bethany’s partner, and Lacie’s dad, soldier Garry Stephenson, was serving in Afghanistan when the crash happened.

Dean Cockburn, the only surviving member of his immediate family, spoke of his loss a year after their deaths.

He said: “Not a day goes by when you don’t think about them. You battle with who you are grieving for and you don’t know.

“You say to yourself: how can you only think about one of them. It is too much to only think about one person.

“It is only when you are getting back to normal that you realise they are not here.”

A date has yet to be set for the resumption of the inquest.