RELATIVES of a woman who was killed in a horrific sand yacht accident today demanded action -- after a year of anguish.

Mum-of-two Carole Cruz, 38, of Kingsbury Place, Burnley, was hit by the yacht as she walked along the beach at St Anne's with her sons a year ago tomorrow.

The teaching assistant at St Hilda's RC High School, Coal Clough Lane, was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital with severe leg and back injuries but later died.

Today Carole's parents Sheila and Andy Ewens spoke for the first time about the tragedy and said the family were still waiting for answers.

A full inquest has yet to be held and Crown Prosecution Service lawyers in York are still deciding whether any criminal charges will follow the fatal collision.

Sheila and Carole's elder sister Sharon, along with stepdad Andy, were today planning to visit the scene of the accident for the first time to lay flowers.

And other family members, including Carole's sister Julie, 36, and two teenage sons, Jason, 15, and Steffan, 13, who now live with their grandparents, were planning to say prayers.

Carole also left partner Barry, brother-in-law Aramis and niece Lianna.

Sheila, 60, of Reynold's Street, Burnley, said: "It's a year on from Carole's death and we just feel like we are not being acknowledged and that things are being pushed under the carpet.

"It would be nice if someone could call us to let us know how far things have got with the investigation so that we know what is happening. It seems like someone is dragging their heels.

"Someone must be to blame for what happened and all of us want to know who is responsible."

Andy, 59, said: "We need a decision about whether any action is going to be taken and we want someone to be held to account for what happened to Carole."

Sharon, 41, added: "We want to find out what went wrong on the beach that day because although I'm sure Carole wouldn't want to see the sport banned, she would want proper safety measures to make sure nothing like this could happen to anyone else.

"We want a date for the inquest firstly so we can find out what happened and so that we can put this behind us and start to move on."

Police investigating the crash, which happened during an international sand yachting competition on the beach, have quizzed the sand yacht pilot, a 47-year-old man from Doncaster, although they stressed he had not been arrested or charged with any offence.

A police spokesman said: "A file of evidence has been prepared and has now been passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service. It will be up to them to decide what the next step should be."

An inquest into Carole's death was opened and adjourned by Fylde Coroner Samuel Lee, last August but no date has yet been set for the full inquest.

The yacht involved in the collision was taking part in an organised open competition with the Fylde International Sandyacht Club, close to St Anne's pier.

Fylde Borough Council has suspended the sport pending a full review of safety on the beach and the investigation into Carole's death.

A spokesman for the Crown Prosecution Service said: "The case is still under consideration by our York office. We cannot say when the matter will be resolved as it is a very complex case."