THE parents of a five-year-old girl who died in a horrific crash in Dorset say they are considering 'further action' despite a coroner recording a verdict of accidental death.

Lily-Mae Jeffries was killed when she, along with her two sisters and great grandmother, were in collision with two motorbikes during a seaside break in Weymouth on March 11 this year.

Speaking from their Norton Fitzwarren home this week, John and Charlene Jeffries said the inquest shed new light on the sequence of events.

They said: “We are speaking with our legal team to consider the possibility of taking civil action.

“We also want to encourage more drivers to be aware of pedestrians in the road and be mindful of people crossing and their actions."

A family group, including Lily-Mae's great-grandmother Anita Jeffries, and the little girl's two sisters, Kaycee-Ann, 11, and Annabella, six, were attempting to cross the 50mph road to feed the birds at a nature reserve.

Lily-Mae's parents described her as their 'ray of sunshine' and thanked all the community for their support - one of the main reasons why they have decided to settle down in the area.

The inquest at County Hall in Dorchester last week heard Lily-Mae died due to a severe traumatic brain injury.

Coroner for West Dorset, Michael Johnston, said: “In my mind there is no doubt what happened is that this group were crossing the road and they passed the centre line.

“Several witnesses say that they then walked out into the other lane into the path of the lead motorcyclist who was not given enough time to avoid the collision."

According to witnesses, Mrs Jeffries was heard to tell the girls to 'be careful'.

Lorry driver Shane Coles said: “They were walking slowly and they seemed to stop in the middle of the road. I could see it happening before it did. Then they stepped out again into the path of the bikes.”

Mr Coles and other witnesses said the motorcyclists had been driving safely and within the speed limit.

Mr Johnston recorded a verdict of accidental death.