PC Dave Phillips murder accused Clayton Williams, 18, remanded

An 18-year-old man has appeared in court charged with the murder of a police officer who died after being struck by a car.

PC Dave Phillips died after a pick-up vehicle mounted a central reservation in Wallasey, Merseyside, on Monday.

Clayton Williams is also charged with burglary, attempting to wound another police officer and aggravated theft of a motor vehicle.

He was remanded into custody to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Friday.

During the five-minute hearing at Wirral Magistrates' Court, Mr Williams, of Wheatland Lane, Wallasey, spoke to give his name and date of birth.

Wearing a grey T-shirt and jogging bottoms, he answered "yeah" when he was asked if he understood the proceedings.

Mr Williams is charged as the "initial taker" of the Mitsubishi L200 Challenger vehicle.

A second man, Phillip Stuart, 30, of Mayfair Court, Oxton, has also been charged with burglary and aggravated unauthorised taking of a car.

He was remanded in custody until 22 October when he is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court for a preliminary hearing.

Three women, aged between 19 and 59, and a 39-year old man, who were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, have all been released on bail pending further inquiries.

PC Phillips, 34, was killed as he attempted to use a tyre-puncturing" stinger" device to stop the car, police said.

The married father-of-two had been responding to reports of a burglary in Woodchurch Road, Birkenhead with a colleague.

Fellow officers tried to save his life before he was taken to hospital, but he died shortly after arriving.