Inquests have been opened into the deaths of a man who ran a Chester yarn shop and his partner, both of Colwyn Bay, killed in a collision on the A470 near Betws y Coed.

Father-of-two Stephen Probert , 56, who was riding his motorbike when it collided with a BMW on April 5, was certified dead at the scene and his partner, Joanne Winder, 40, died in Ysbyty Gwynedd two days later after being airlifted to hospital.

She was a passenger on the machine and it was her first ride on a motorcycle.

At a hearing in Ruthin on Tuesday, April 14, John Gittins, the coroner for North Wales East and Central, said that Mr Probert, who owned Stash Fine Yarns in Sealand Road, Chester, suffered chest injuries and the provisional cause of death for Mrs Winder, a shop assistant, was multiple injuries.

The couple, who were described by relatives as 'soulmates' lived together in Bryn Cadno, Colwyn Heights, Colwyn Bay.

The full inquests were adjourned until September, but the coroner said police enquiries could take some time.