A 23-year-old man has appeared in Worcester Magistrates Court charged with causing the death of a vicar in a road crash.

Christopher Badgery, of Pudford Lane, Martley, is charged with causing death by dangerous driving, and driving a motor vehicle above the legal drink-drive limit on Saturday, July 18.

The Rev Ian Scott died following the crash on the A4103 in Bransford, near Worcester – the night before his 64th birthday.

His widow, Sue – a passenger in the same car, suffered a broken pelvis and five others were also injured.

Mr Scott, a father of two grown-up children, of Corbett Avenue, Droitwich, was the chaplain at Evesham Community Hospital from 2007 and before that he was a chaplain for Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs Worcestershire Royal Hospital.

Badgery, who gave no indication of plea, was given unconditional bail and will appear at Worcester’s Crown Court on Monday, February 22.