A ROAD safety campaigner from Worcester appeared in court wearing a burns mask after he was convicted of dangerous driving and failing to stop at the scene of a crash.

Malcolm Smith wore a transparent burns mask over his face, protective covering over both hands and walked with the aid of a stick when he appeared at Worcester Crown Court.

Smith, of Portefields Road, off Tolladine Road, Worcester, had already been convicted of dangerous driving, driving with excess alcohol and failing to stop at the scene of an accident. The offences had been heard at an earlier hearing at the magistrates court sitting in Kidderminster on October 24.

No further details of the offence were disclosed when he appeared before Recorder John Steel QC at Worcester Crown Court on Friday for a short administrative hearing.

The defendant spoke merely to confirm that he had been convicted of the offences, nodding to indicate he understood what he had been told by the judge.

We reported in July last year how Smith expressed concerns over the safety of Bilford Road, Worcester before a crash.

A driver was taken to hospital after crashing into a barrier near Worcester Recycling Centre – just days after residents, including Smith, had said they feared a collision could happen due to traffic near the tip.

Bilford Road was closed at the junction with Wordsworth Avenue following the crash on July 5.

Mr Smith told a Worcester News reporter before the crash that he he feared someone would be killed there.

“It’s absolute chaos. This is going to be an accident waiting to happen. The traffic is from the tip to the shop at the start of Astwood Road. Some drivers are driving on the wrong side of the road so they don’t have to wait in the queue for those who are waiting to go to the tip.”

The sentencing hearing was adjourned and is scheduled to be heard on the week commencing February 3 next year. In the meantime a psychiatric report and a pre-sentence report will be prepared to assist the sentencing judge.

The probation service will also receive a copy of the psychiatric report to assist so they can provide an addendum report ready for the day of sentence.