A SHELF man has appeared before Bradford Magistrates Court charged with causing death by dangerous driving.

The case, which has been sent to Bradford Crown Court because of its "seriousness", relates to an accident which occurred on Wakefield Road, Bradford, on September 10, 2019.

Christopher Windle, 21, of Carr House Road, Shelf, Halifax, was charged with causing death by dangerous driving after Stephen Tordoff, 18, died at the scene of the crash.

Mr Windle, who attended Friday's hearing via a video link from Doncaster Prison, confirmed his name and date of birth.

Five charges - including causing death by dangerous driving - were read to the Magistrate, Nadine Tidswell.

The other four charges included causing death by driving a vehicle when the driver was unlicensed and disqualified from holding or obtaining a driving licence and causing death by driving a vehicle when uninsured and a policy of insurance in respect of third party risks was not in force.

The were also two changes of driving a motor vehicle dangerously - one of which occurred on Rooley Lane and one on Harrogate Road Crown prosecutor Julia Birtwell said the case was "indictable only" and Mr Windle did not enter a plea.

She said Mr Windle will be remanded into custody until the case is heard on the morning of May 28 at Bradford Crown Court.

Ms Tidswell said: "This case has got to go to Crown Court because it's so serious."

At the time of the crash on in September 2019, the West Yorkshire Police spokesperson said that Mr Tordoff, of Holme Wood, was a back seat passenger in a Renault Scenic which was in collision with a Volkswagen Transporter van at the A650 Wakefield Road’s junction with Neville Road and New Hey Road.

The police added that the Transporter then collided with a Ford Transit van.

The crash happened at 10.54pm in the evening and Mr Tordoff was pronounced dead at the scene.

In the wake of the fatal crash, scores of floral tributes, balloons and other personal messages and tributes were left in Mr Tordoff’s memory - known to his friends as ‘Stizzy’.

Silver balloons spelt out “RIP S.T.”, with a large number of bouquets of flowers taped to the railings, each with heartfelt messages.

Family photos of Mr Tordoff with his relatives were also left at the scene in his memory.

The crash which claimed the life of Mr Tordoff was the first major collision at the junction in Wakefield Road since major roadworks were completed to remove the roundabout and replace it with the current layout.

The new traffic light-controlled system was put in to replace the roundabout in a bid to improve traffic flow at the junction.

The works began in January 2019 and were completed by August 2019.