ROCK star Bryan ferry's son, Otis, failed in a new bid for freedom yesterday after denying two charges of trying to 'nobble' a prosecution witness against him in an assault and robbery trial.

At Gloucester Crown Court the 26-year-old foxhunt enthusiast pleaded not guilty to doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice by telling his former groomsman David Hodgkiss not to give evidence against him.

Ferry, who has been in custody on remand since September, made an application for bail through his barrister Guy Gozem QC but was turned down by Judge Martin Picton.

Then judge's decision was greeted with protests from some of the dozen friends and relatives of Ferry in the public gallery and two of them stormed out.

The judge had been told that three other people have been arrested by police investigating the alleged witness nobbling - and one other person may yet be arrested as part of an ongoing enquiry.

Last month it was revealed that two of those arrested - and now on bail - are Ferry's girlfriend Francesa Nimmo, 22, of Northamptonshire, and Adrian Simpson, 53 year old Welsh regional director of the Countryside Alliance. The identity of the third person is not known.

The charges put to Ferry today concern allegations that he tried to stop Mr Hodgkiss giving evidence against him on charges of robbing a Hunt monitor and assaulting her during a meeting of the Heythrop Hunt at Lower Swell, nr Stow on the Wold, Glos, in November 2007.

Ex Marlborough college pupil Ferry, of Keepers Cottage, Eaton Mascott, Shropshire, who is joint master of the South Shropshire Hunt, wore a now familiar blue suit, blue polkadot tie and green pullover for his 40 minute appearance in the dock today, He spoke only to confirm his name and say Not Guilty to each of the two charges put to him.

The first is that on 8th September he did an act tending or intended to pervert the course of justice by speaking to David Hodgkiss and instructing him not to provide the police with certain evidence in relation to an allegation of robbery.

The second charge alleges that between 7-17 September with intent to pervert the course of justice he did a series of acts by telephoning David Hodgkiss stating that he was not to turn up in court and he did not need to go to court and he could retract his statement.

Prosecutor Ian Dixey told the court today that the Crown would in due course apply to join the new charges with the original allegations of robbery and assault so they can all be tried together.

But he said he was not yet making that application because of the ongoing police enquiry.

"There are currently three people on bail," he said. "The telephone evidence is still to be analysed fully and it may be that as a result of that analysis further charges will result.

"It is also anticipated that there may be one further person to be arrested.

"That is the current state of the enquiry."

He said it was possible if others were charged that the case woould change to one of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

However, the prosecution still hoped that the case could go to trial as scheduled on March 9th next year, he said.

The judge said he was concerned that Ferry's legal team have not yet filed a defence case statement. He gave the defence fourteen days to file one.

He was told by Mr Dixey that there will be an application in due course for Mr Hodgkiss's evidence to be given in the form of a video interview with police.

Applying for bail Mr Gozem said Ferry was conscious of the seriousness of the situation he is in and the powers of the court but wished to apply for bail - if necessary on stringent conditions.

Mr Gozem handed the court several letters from family and friends of the Roxy Music star's son.

"They offer him support and indicate to the coourt that those individuals together and individually will all endeavouor to ensure that there is no breach of any bail condition that is imposed by the court," the QC said.

But Judge Picton refused bail, saying "These are very grave allegations that go to the heart of the criminal justice system and if proved will carry with them, obviously, a lengthy period of custody.

"It is a complex and serious and sensitive case. "

Bail was refused and Ferry was remanded back to his cell at Gloucester prison to await trial in March.

Ferry's robbery and assault trial had been due to get under way in September at the Cirencester Courthouse in Gloucestershire but after three days of legal arguments it was abandoned and the jury was discharged.

Ferry was then arrested and new allegations of perverting the course of justice were made against him.

The original charges against Ferry are that while he was hunting with the Heythrop Hunt at Lower Swell on November 21 2007 he robbed Helen Ghalmi, a hunt monitor, of a video camera - which she was using to film his activities - and a set of keys. He is also said to have assaulted her.