The inquest heard the pair drove at speeds of up to 100mph

Darren Franey and Scott Veach, both 14, from Kensington, died instantly after their stolen car crashed into the back of a Mercedes truck in March last year.

Seconds earlier their friend Paul Maguire, who was driving at similar speeds in a second stolen car, had managed to avoid the lorry and escape the other side.

Five tunnel officers were suspended after the deaths, but the Crown Prosecution Service has said they will not face criminal charges.

But Maguire, who is currently serving a five-and-a-half year sentence in connection with the crash, told the inquest: "I blame the police."

He said he came round a bend in the tunnel to discover a roadblock of two police vehicles and a red Mercedes lorry.

The inquest jury was shown a computer reconstruction of the crash

Maguire, 20, said his friends were following him in a silver Vauxhall Vectra and both cars were being pursued by a police patrol car.

Maguire, who was in another Vectra, swerved to avoid the lorry, clipped a police Land Rover and got out the other side.

But the Vectra, driven by Darren Franey, crashed into the lorry killing both boys.

Maguire told the hearing they had stolen the two cars from Chester.

He said a police car with lights flashing followed them into the tunnel.

Maguire said: "I put my foot down. I was doing between 100 and 120mph."

Liverpool coroner Andre Rebello asked Maguire why he did not stop.

He replied: "I did not want to get nicked.

'Path blocked'

"I was coming round the bend and I saw a road block. I remember seeing a lorry and flashing lights and three policemen."

Maguire, flanked by guards in the witness box, claimed police also ordered a red lorry to block his path.

He said: "As I came round the bend and was going towards them, the middle police officer put his hand up to the lorry driver and told him to go in front.

"I just squeezed through the gap. There wasn't time enough to stop."

Earlier the jury was shown a computer reconstruction of the moments leading up to the crash in the Kingsway tunnel shortly after 0400 GMT on 2 March last year.

The inquest into the deaths of Darren, from Jubilee Drive and Scott, from Guelph Street, Kensington, in the Kingsway tunnel is expected to last several weeks.