A FIREFIGHTER has pleaded not guilty to causing a fatal crash by parking his fire engine in a dangerous position in Rendcomb.

Peter Newdeck, 47, is alleged to have parked the vehicle in the road, facing oncoming traffic, on the A435/Cheltenham Road with the headlights on but the flashing blue lights off, on the evening of December 20, 2013.

The lighting and position of the Scania engine is said to have caused 64-year-old South Cerney driver Paul Holmes to lose control of his Audi and hit two pedestrians.

One of the pedestrians, 43-year-old Stuart Frost from Rendcomb, was killed by the crash. The other, 31-year-old Christopher Eyre, also from Rendcomb, suffered serious leg injuries.

Mr Newdeck, of Oldbury Road in Tewkesbury, appeared at Gloucester Crown Court on Friday and pleaded not guilty to causing the death of Mr Frost by careless driving.

Recorder Peter Towler said Mr Newdeck's trial would begin on October 5 and was expected to last 10 days.

Mr Newdeck was granted unconditional bail.

Prosecutor Ray Tully suggested that during the trial the jury should visit the scene of the tragedy at night to see the location.

For safety reasons it would probably be necessary for the police to close the road for up to an hour, he said.

A police patrol officer in court said that would be easy to arrange at fairly short notice during the trial.

Recorder Towler agreed it would be a good idea but said it would be for the trial judge to decide if it was necessary.

The court heard that several expert witnesses are scheduled to give evidence at the trial, including a doctor who would comment on a medical condition suffered by the Audi driver and whether that may have played any part in what happened.

An experienced firefighter would also appear as an expert witness.

The fatal accident happened at about 7.30pm after the fire service had been called to a chimney blaze in Cheltenham road, Rendcomb.

Mr Newdeck was driving the appliance and had four crew members on board.

The fire was at a cottage on the offside of the tree-lined single carriageway road when heading towards Cirencester.

It was dark and there were high winds and intermittent rain.

The prosecution case is that Mr Newdeck stopped the engine parallel with the offside verge, fully in the Cheltenham bound lane, facing oncoming traffic.