NEWLYWEDS Paul and Diane Dudgeon today revealed how a holiday photograph saved their lives in the New York ferry disaster.

The Blackburn couple were on board the Staten Island Ferry which crashed into a harbour, killing 10 people and injuring dozens more.

And Paul, who works at India Mill, Darwen, said: "If we hadn't gone up to the top deck of the ferry to get a picture of the Statue of Liberty, we would have been sitting on the deck worst affected."

Paul, 31, and his new wife Diane, 30, of Moorland Road, Blackburn, were in New York on the final leg of a three-stop tour of America which had begun nearly a fortnight earlier with their marriage in Las Vegas

Today they relived the chaos on board last Thursday as passengers realised the ferry was about to crash - and how close they came to being victims.

The Staten Island Ferry service connects Manhattan Island to the suburb of Staten Island and is popular with tourists because it offers views of attractions such as the Statue of Liberty.

The ferry crashed into the side of one of the docks, sending massive wooden poles through one floor. Witnesses described the ferry as "being ripped open like a tuna can".

Paul said: "After taking the photos, we had gone back inside on the top deck and were sitting in the corner nearest to where the crash was about to happen.

"Then we heard someone shout that the ferry was going to crash and to run to other side. Everyone stared moving but Diane fell over something and I just tried to pull her out of the way, just to be safe. People were piling over us.

"We heard it crash and then it sort of rocked back out again. We didn't realise how serious it was until we got off, which was about 20 minutes later when a tug had pulled it into dock. People were laughing until they got off, then they saw the damage.

"It was only when we turned on the television back at the hotel that we heard people had died and saw exactly where the crash had happened. Then we realised how lucky we were. We realised how close we had come. If we hadn't gone up to take the photos, we'd probably have been downstairs."

The pilot of the ferry is reported to have become unconscious while in control. It crashed four docks down from the Staten Island Ferry Terminal. He was later reported to have attempted suicide and is being treated in hospital.

Authorities in New York say it could take up to a year to compile a report into the crash but have revealed many tourists were spared injury because they were on the open top deck taking photos.

Paul said: "It was very windy and only tourists wanting to take photos were going outside.

"There were lots of rumours about what had caused the accident. It has taken a while to sink in. It is important that the investigation finds out what happened."

After getting married at a wedding chapel close to the famous Circus Circus hotel in Las Vegas, the couple went on to spend four days in San Francisco before heading to the Big Apple.