Two young footballers were killed in a car crash as they travelled home from a training session, an inquest heard.

James Duffell, a former Albion School of Excellence pupil, and Liam Cox, both 20, died instantly when their Ford Fiesta collided with a people-carrier after travelling at 70mph in a 40mph zone.

Mr Cox was giving Mr Duffell a lift home after training with Sussex County League side Sidley United when the accident happened on the A2100 at Telham, near Battle, at 10pm on October 23 last year.

The Hastings inquest heard Mr Cox's T-registration car slewed across the road and into the Renault Espace before ending up embedded in a hedge.

Toxicology tests showed traces of cannabis in Mr Cox's bloodstream but how much the drug might have affected his driving judgement could not be determined.

Witnesses said moments earlier the car had overtaken vehicles at speed before losing control on a left-hand bend in dark, damp conditions.

Graham Ford, of North Trade Road, Battle, said he "flinched" as the car accelerated past him. Another witness, Brian Pont, said the Fiesta was "virtually screaming".

Lesley Burns, of Eisenhower Drive, St Leonards, was travelling to Robertsbridge Community College with her 14-year-old daughter and her friend.

She said: "The three of us were talking and we stopped, saying how surprised we were at the speed it was travelling."

Off-duty policeman Christopher Stannard was also alarmed by the Fiesta's speed, which he estimated at 70mph.

It weaved from left to right and Mr Cox applied the brakes before the car careered into the passenger side of the red Renault.

Its driver, John Divall, of Clinton Crescent, St Leonards, survived.

Apprentice plumber Mr Cox, of Winterbourne Close, Hastings, and sports coach Mr Duffell, of Caldbec Hill, Battle, died at the scene.

Mr Divall said: "I was coming up the hill, which is a part of road where I don't expect anything to happen. I saw some headlights which I thought belonged to two cars. One of the sets of headlights didn't appear to be in the right place.

"There was virtually nothing I could do except lift my foot off the accelerator, close my eyes and wait for the collision."

PC Albert Mariner, of the Shoreham-based road policing unit, described the Fiesta's driving as "aggressive".

He said: "This was a horrific loss of two young lives, possibly caused by youthful exuberance."

Recording verdicts of accidental death, East Sussex coroner Alan Craze said: "I echo what has been said in that this was a horrific road traffic accident resulting in the loss of two young men.

"The facts are not in any doubt. The evidence given by a large number of eyewitnesses leaves us with really little doubt about the way the crash came about."