A "beautiful" young woman died after the car she was driving crashed into a parked car in Sale, an inquest has heard.

At South Manchester Coroners' Court today (Friday, December 22), the inquest into the death of Xena Georgiou was formally opened by senior coroner Alison Mutch.

Xena, who lived on Rackhouse Road, Wythenshawe, was driving a BMW which was being pursued by police when it crashed into the parked car on Marsland Road in Sale on December 3.

At the inquest opening, police coroners officer Nicholas Belfield told Ms Mutch that Xena, a 20-year-old financial assistant, died at Manchester Royal Infirmary after she was taken there following the crash.

Paying tribute to her daughter, Xena's mother Catherine Hayden described her as "beautiful", saying she was "well loved" and "touched many hearts".

Xena's funeral is set to be held at St Bernard’s RC Church on Burnage Lane in Burnage on January 2, 2024 at 11am, with hundreds of people expected to attend.

Ms Hayden said in a post on social media announcing the details of Xena's funeral: "We express our heartfelt gratitude for the overwhelming love and support during this challenging time."

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is investigating the circumstances leading up to Xena's death.

Investigators have obtained dashcam footage from police vehicles and have been provided with body-worn video and initial accounts from the officers involved.

In a statement issued earlier this month, IOPC Regional Director Catherine Bates said: “Our thoughts are with Xena’s family and friends, and all those affected.

"We have been in contact with her family to explain our role, offer advice and support, and to outline the next steps of our independent investigation.

“Our investigation is still in its very early stages and it is important that we establish all of the circumstances.

“There is a mandatory requirement for forces to refer to us incidents like this which result in death or serious injury and our investigation will thoroughly examine the circumstances of the police involvement, including whether appropriate policies and procedures were followed.”

Ms Mutch did not set a date for the conclusion of the inquest into Xena's death but set a date for a pre-inquest review on March 4 next year, when it will be established what point the IOPC investigation has reached.

Ms Mutch also offered her condolences to the family of Xena.