A POLICE officer who chased a car which crashed and killed both its passengers was not to blame for the fatal crash, an investigation has found.

Jack Francis Christian, aged 22, and 23-year-old Lee James Perris died after the Volkswagen Polo Mr Christian was driving overturned and hit a tree in Bury Road, Radcliffe, at about 3.30am on December 2, 2012.

Mr Christian, of Greenside Chase, Bury and Mr Perris, of Eton Hill Road, Radcliffe suffered catastrophic injuries including brain haemorrhages and a fractured skull and died at the scene, outside Newbank Garden Centre.

An Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) investigation found PC David Wilson, a Bury response officer who pursued the car after noticing its windscreen looked frosted over, did not cause the crash.

The investigation found PC Wilson, who was driving alone in a marked police car, did not act outside his lawful duties during the 47-second chase.

PC Wilson, who was trained in police pursuit but had never carried out a chase before, activated his car’s sirens and blue lights in Wellington Road, Bury and following the polo down Manchester Road and onto Bury Road.

Mr Christian did not stop, reaching speeds of up to 70mph during the pursuit. Analysis showed the police car reached a maximum of 57mph.

IPCC Commissioner James Dipple-Johnstone said: "The deaths of these two young men will have had a devastating effect on their families and friends and I offer my sincerest condolences to them.

"Our investigation examined all of the actions of the officer who pursued the car driven by Mr Christian and concluded that there was no evidence that he acted outside his lawful duties.

“There was a justifiable rationale for the pursuit and it cannot be said that there were any failings on the part of the officer or Greater Manchester Police.”

An inquest into the deaths of Mr Christian and Mr Perris which ended last month recorded Mr Christian died as a result of a road traffic collision and Mr Perris as the result of an accident.

Both men had been drinking cider and had taken cocaine and ecstasy, with a post mortem finding the amounts of drugs found in Mr Christian’s body would have affected his driving.

The IPCC investigation concluded in June 2013 was published yesterday after the conclusion of the inquest process.