A man has been charged in connection with a fatal collision near Blandford which claimed the lives of a husband and wife.

At around 3.40pm on Sunday 2 April 2017 a collision occurred along Shaftesbury Road near Compton Abbas airfield between a black Kawasaki motorcycle and a green Ford Escort being driven by a 24-year-old man from the Shaftesbury area.

Sadly 74-year-old motorcycle rider Sid Samways was pronounced dead at the scene. His pillion passenger and wife Barbara, 71, was airlifted to Southampton General Hospital with serious injuries but also died. The pair lived in Blandford.

A 24-year-old man from the Shaftesbury area has been charged with two counts of causing death by driving without due care and consideration while over the specified drug drive limit and causing death by driving a vehicle unlicensed. He is due to appear before Weymouth Magistrates’ Court on Monday 9 October 2017.