THE bodies of the four York pilgrims who died in a coach crash in Jordan have been flown back to Britain.

Churchgoers Hilda Brisby, 80, and Margaret Haslam,70, both from Heworth, and Owen Dale, 66, and his wife, Jean, 63, from Dunnington, died on October 28, when the coach they were travelling in suffered a burst tyre and collided with a pick-up truck.

Their bodies and those of the five other Britons killed in the incident were due to be flown to London last night for formal identification and for post mortems to be carried out.

Inquests are expected to be opened and adjourned next week by West London Coroner Alison Thompson so funeral arrangements can be made.

York Coroner Donald Coverdale is due to hold full inquests in the city into all nine deaths.

The other British victims were Nancy Ansbro, 67, and Hazel Clement, 62, both from Louth, in Lincolnshire, Richard Fothergill, 67, and his wife, Angela, 65, from Newcastle, and 69-year-old Frederick Tant, from Uxbridge, west London.

The crash happened on a desert highway 155 miles south of the Jordanian capital Amman when the group - on an eight-day pilgrimage to the country - were returning from a trip to the ancient city of Petra.

The Jordanian drivers of the coach and the truck were among the dead, along with an Egyptian.

Eighteen Britons were on the coach at the time of the crash.

The nine survivors were being released from hospital in Amman and most of them, including Dunnington couple Roger and Patricia Brown, were expected to make their way home over the weekend.

They will either be transferred to hospitals in the UK or released home.

Mr Brown, 67, suffered a broken collarbone, and his 66-year-old wife, Patricia, a steward at Melbourne Terrace Methodist Church, York, suffered an injury to her forehead and a black eye.

Margaret Haslam's husband, Graham, a retired Methodist minister and the tour leader, suffered a broken leg and head injuries.

Mr Haslam will remain in Jordan because he and two others are two ill to fly.

The Haslams and Mrs Brisby worshipped at Heworth Methodist Church, while Mr and Mrs Dale were both members of St Nicholas's Church, Dunnington.

Jordanian Police have confirmed one of the tyres was changed 15 minutes before the crash, but said the replacement tyre was new and no one was to blame for the tragedy.

Updated: 09:38 Saturday, November 06, 2004