Bride killed by boy racers four days before her wedding

Brothers Bradley and Marcus Barney were driving separate cars in a "suicidal" manner when they forced Carol Tegg to swerve into the path of a bus.

Her car burst into flames and she died instantly. The bus was also engulfed in flames and more than 25 passengers had to flee.

The brothers yesterday admitted causing Miss Tegg's death by dangerous driving.

Bradley Barney, 24, was jailed for eight years and his 23-year-old brother for seven years at Oxford Crown Court.

Judge Julian Hall, who described the pair as "habitual racers" and said the tragedy was "waiting to happen", heard that they changed their pleas to guilty after their grandfather died in a road accident.

Miss Tegg, 26, had left work after receiving goodwill messages from colleagues over her imminent wedding when the crash happened last July on the A4074 near Woodcote, Oxfordshire.

She had been overtaken by the Barney brothers travelling in a Peugeot 307 and a Volkswagen Golf on the rural road known locally as the "13 bends of death".

As a result, she lost control of her Citroen Saxo and it ploughed into the oncoming bus.

The Barneys had just visited another brother, Curtis, at Reading Young Offenders' Institute and decided to race along the A4074.

The court heard they overtook up to 40 vehicles over seven miles, sometimes speeding past three cars at a time on blind bends and at up to 70mph.

Statements were read out to the court from motorists passed by the brothers who were horrified by their driving and feared for their safety.

David Robinson, prosecuting, said: "The Barneys took it upon themselves to drive their cars in a manner which was dangerous, suicidal, reckless and totally mad."

Mr Robinson added that both men tried to cover their tracks after the accident.

Bradley Barney cancelled his insurance and his brother put his vehicle in storage. The court heard that neither brother had registered their vehicles under their name in an effort to avoid being detected.

Marcus Barney was not insured to drive his Peugeot.

He admitted failing to supply information and driving without insurance.

His brother admitted failing to supply information, failure to stop and failure to report an accident.

The court heard that he had one previous conviction of driving whilst disqualified.

Both Marcus Barney, of Hinckley, Leicestershire, and his brother, of Bishop's Waltham, Hampshire, expressed their remorse to the court.