FIVE people died in a crash after the driver who had taken cocaine travelled the wrong way on the M4, an inquest heard yesterday.

Driver Christopher Beresford, 18 had also been pursued by police travelling up to 124mph before the vehicle turned onto the M4.

Mr Beresford and his passenges Lee Maggs, 26, both from Duffryn and Sam Case, 19, from Maindee were killed when the Ford Mondeo they were riding in crashed into an oncoming Volvo.

James Stafford, 69, and his wife Bridget, 70 from Surrey were in the other vehicle and were also killed.

James Bunnett, 18, who was also travelling in the Mondeo was the only survivor.

A statement by Lee Maggs' brother Wayne Maggs, 24, told how he had been in the car before the crash on September 17 last year and he along with Mr Case and Mr Beresford had all taken cocaine.

Earlier that night, Police were called to a disturbance in Rockfield Glade, in the Parc Seymour area of Penhow.

At around 2am Rockfield Glade residents, Peter and Jean Brunt reported three men acting suspiciously in their driveway.

Wayne Maggs said the group were "messing about" and stole two mountain bikes from a front garden.

Police arrived, discovered the red Mondeo parked on Rockfield Glade with the engine still warm and decided to set up a perimeter in nearby streets in case the group returned to the Mondeo.

Mr Beresford, Mr Case, Mr Bunnett and Lee Maggs returned to the car and left, while Wayne Maggs was hiding in a garden in Rockfield Glade.

Shortly after 3am traffic officers saw the Mondeo leave.

PC Richard Wyatt said there had been a number of car thefts from Parc Seymour and he wanted to check if the Mondeo driven legally.

He followed the car onto Chepstow Road and the jury were shown video footage of PC Wyatt and his passenger PC Thomas Jones pursuing the car.

As the Mondeo exceeded 80mph officers turned on their sirens and signalled for it to stop.

The video showed the Mondeo increase speed and reach 124mph as it reached the Coldra, before driving onto the motorway the wrong way and crashing.

Police stopped their pursuit at the Coldra roundabout.

Mr Maggs said that after his friends left, he called a taxi to go home, but was unable to get on the motorway.

"I had a feeling straight away that it was them," he said.

Further evidence from PC Price and PC Julie Pearse who were amongst the first to arrive on the crash scene.

They could hear cries for help from Mr Bunnett in the Mondeo. He was pulled from the wreckage.