An appeal against a court judgement blaming police for a road crash that killed a woman was due to begin this morning (Thursday).

Kent Police are challenging a judge's verdict that the force was entirely to blame for the accident that cost the life of Rachel Cheesewright, 29, on the A28 at Bethersden in 2005.

The case was due to start at 10am at London's Court of Appeal before Lady Justice Arden, Lord Justice Stanley Burnton and Mr Justice Richards.

Miss Cheesewright, of Guernsey Way, Kennington, was killed when her Ford Fiesta was smashed into by a police car answering an emergency call.

Last September, after a civil trial, Judge Jonathan Simpkiss at Canterbury County Court ruled that Kent Police were negligent and the police driver, PC William Purse, was the "100 per cent causation of the accident."