SELBY rail crash survivors reacted angrily today after learning that a TV show was to recreate a train disaster in the same week grieving relatives found out how their loved ones died.

The inquest on the ten men who died at Great Heck - including six from North Yorkshire - began today in Harrogate,

By coincidence, the BBC1 series Casualty will return on Saturday night with a "blockbuster" two-parter surrounding a train crash.

The BBC's website features a column, Tina's Soap Psychic, which says today: "There's a huge train crash and dozens of seriously injured and dead passengers.

"It's one of the biggest stunts the BBC has ever done. And it's bound to be emotional after the real life train disasters."

That has angered those who experienced Great Heck who say the timing and tone of the programme is extremely insensitive.

Mark Russell, a train guard, who was on one of the stricken coaches at Great Heck, said: "I think the BBC has been a bit unthinking.

"I won't be watching it, and I think it will be hard for the families of those people who died in the crash."

Janine Edwards, who was injured in the crash, said: "This is really bad of the BBC. It is just wrong to do this at this time."

The BBC is investigating the complaints.

The inquest into the crash, which happened on February 28, 2001, was being held at the Majestic Hotel in Harrogate and was expected to last five days.

The incident happened when a GNER express train struck a Land Rover which had plunged off the M62 and on to the East Coast mainline. The derailed train hit a freight train.

Gary Hart, of Strubby, Lincolnshire, was jailed for five years in January 2002 after he was convicted of ten counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

The ten men who died were Steve Baldwin, Steve Dunn, Alan Ensor, Barry Needham, Ray Robson, Rob Shakespeare, Paul Taylor, Christopher Terry, Clive Vidgen and John Weddle.

Updated: 10:45 Monday, September 08, 2003