AN inquest is to be held into the tragic death of a much-loved teaching assistant from Sandgate School.

Rebecca Quail died, aged 25, in a road traffic collision on the A6 on her way to work in Kendal on March 15 last year.

A pre-inquest review at Kendal's County Hall heard that her car had been hit by a trailer carrying a mini-digger when it came loose from the van towing it.

The collision took place on the road near Shap, with Miss Quail's Citroen car travelling south and the van northwards.

Miss Quail died at the scene from injuries sustained in the collision.

Why the trailer came loose from the van, which was driven by Stewart Hamilton, an employee of Kendal-based utilities repair company T.K. Gallagher has yet to be determined, the pre-inquest review heard.

The hearing was told that the way in which the trailer was hitched to a Mercedes sprinter van will be examined, as will the weight on the trailer and the state of the trailer tyres. Experts will also examine the hitching to check for metal fatigue.

It is alleged that the trailer was hitched to the van by the driver of another vehicle, Daniel Bannon, who was driving behind Mr Hamilton.

Miss Quail lived in Penrith, where she grew up. She lived with her long term partner Simon Thicke.