Lee and Thomas Carwardine mourn the loss of a son and brother

The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) said they were being conducted on Monday, while inquests into the deaths would begin next month.

Kelly Goring, 17, Daniel Carwardine and Danielle Martin, both 16, Barrie Mackay, 15, and Lee Morgan, 14, died in St Leonards, East Sussex, on Saturday.

A book of condolence has been opened at a school that two of them attended.

Daniel and Danielle had just left Filsham Valley School in St Leonards to go to college.

'Tragic situation'

Head teacher Chris Kelly said: "It's an incredibly tragic situation, not just because you're losing people that you know, but because they had all of their lives ahead of them.

"It couldn't possibly be worse for their families."

Relatives of the victims are due to meet IPCC representatives on Tuesday to find out how the investigation is progressing.

Family and friends of the victims have been leaving floral tributes

Hastings and Rye MP Michael Foster said: "For the stability of the local community it's important that the independent report comes out very soon with at least an interim decision on what happened."

The stolen car the five youngsters were in crashed in Battle Road during the early hours of Saturday, just minutes after it had been spotted by a marked police vehicle.

The IPCC has not revealed if the Metro was being chased, but it has said that a police car did not crash into it.

"We understand that they [the officers] were at the accident scene very quickly so they could not have been far away," said Mr Franklin.

Barrie Mackay died in the crash at the age of 15

The IPCC has also refused to confirm whether the car was stolen.

But its owner, Matthew Baker, told BBC South East Today it was taken from his house.

One of the victims' friends, Charlene Lunnon, 16, said she was in a graveyard drinking with Danielle, Daniel and Kelly before the accident.

Another friend, Luke Rooks, said the tragedy was difficult to come to terms with.

"These people were our friends, people we'd see every day," he said.