FOUR men have denied being part of a drugs conspiracy to supply crack cocaine and heroin in Worcester.

The four suspects appeared at Worcester Crown Court on Monday following a dramatic arrest during which a police officer was injured by a car driven by one of the defendants.

DC Simon Lloyd suffered a broken leg and ligament damage after he tried to stop a Vauxhall Zafira at the junction of Barbourne Road and Shrubbery Avenue in Worcester on October 16.

The car was finally stopped at Pitchcroft car park where two suspects were detained.

Christopher Franklin, aged 35, of Barbourne Road, Worcester, Shakur Hussain, aged 37, of Compton Road, Worcester, Asgar Khalfe, aged 33, of Townley Gardens, Aston, Birmingham and Terry Melsom, aged 22, of Waterside Street, West Bromwich denied conspiracy to supply a class A drug (crack cocaine) between January 1 and October 16 this year when they appeared before Nicolas Cartwright QC.

All four defendants also denied supplying heroin, also a class A drug, over the same period.

Franklin denied grievous bodily harm against the officer struck by the car but admitted dangerous driving.

Khalfe and Hussain denied possessing criminal property on October 16. Khalfe denied producing crack cocaine.

The defence statements of the four defendants must be served by January 5.

A trial date was set down for April 16 next year at Worcester Crown Court.

All four defendants were remanded in custody. The trial is expected to last a week.