by Keith Hunt

A police officer was cleared today of any wrong doing over a crash which killed a playgroup assistant.

DC Nigel Brown was found not guilty of causing death by dangerous driving and the lesser charge of careless driving.

The officer looked relieved, while the family of victim Felicity Austin wept at the back of the court.

The prosecution alleged Det Con Brown, 47, was driving dangerously while on a surveillance operation when the two cars collided head on.

Some witnesses told how the officer's Skoda Octavia was straddling the central white line, while Miss Austin's Renault Megane was on the correct side of the road.

The 29-year-old mum-of-three was travelling at about 14mph, while Det Con Brown's car was doing around 55mph.

But the officer told the court he had no way of avoiding the collision. He claimed he suddenly saw Miss Austin's car coming directly at him.

He said he was not actually straddling the central line because the vehicles on his nearside had given him enough room to keep more to the left.

The tragedy happened near a bend on the A21 Pembury Road at lunchtime on May 5 last year.

The Metropolitian Police officer was part of a team following a "target" from London.

Cars driven by Det Con Brown and another officer activated their flashing lights and sirens as they overtook on the stretch of the road.

Traffic moved to the side of the road near Pembury Walks to let the officers by. The first police car went through without incident.

Miss Austin, who lived and worked in nearby Hadlow, was travelling in the opposite direction towards Tonbridge.

In front of the engaged mother-of-three was a Ford Galaxy, but the driver managed to get out of the way of the Skoda.

He then heard a loud crash behind him. Miss Austin braked heavily. She died almost instantly.

Judge Charles Macdonald QC kept in force an order banning the media from publishing either Det Con Brown's address or a photograph of him.