An inquest into the death of Middlesbrough Evening Gazette photographer Terry Reed found that he died from natural causes.

Terry was involved in a head-on car crash on the A172 near Stokesley in January 2001.

Former Gazette reporter Karen Bell told the hearing that she had been a passenger as he drove to Stokesley.

As the Ford Fiesta they were in came to a bend in the road, she felt the brakes being applied, looked up and saw her colleague had lost consciousness.

She told the hearing: "I noticed in the corner of my eye the vehicle had driften to the wrong side of the road. I went to grab the steering wheel and then braced myself, and we hit the other vehicle head-on."

Both vehicles were traveling at around 20mph and the coroner said he was satisfied the impact played no part in Terry's death.

The post-mortem examination showed his arteries almost completely blocked and that there was evidence of an old heart attack.

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