Footballer in court over deaths

The boys' mother attended court holding a photograph of her sons

Plymouth Argyle goalkeeper Luke McCormick has appeared in court accused of causing the death of two brothers by dangerous driving.

The 24-year-old former England youth international is also charged with driving with excess alcohol and driving without insurance.

Brothers Arron and Ben Peak, aged 10 and eight, from Manchester, were killed in a collision on the M6 on Saturday.

Magistrates in Stoke-on-Trent released Mr McCormick on conditional bail.

He is due to appear at Stoke Crown Court on 16 June.

The boys' mother Amanda Peak attended the hearing at Fenton Magistrates' Court.

She arrived holding a soft toy and a framed picture of her sons.

The charges follow a police investigation into the crash on the southbound carriageway of the motorway in Staffordshire between junctions 15 and 16, near Keele services.

The brothers and their father Philip, 37, were in a Toyota Previa with friends.

Police said it appeared a collision happened in lane two and the Toyota left the carriageway on the near side.

It travelled down an embankment and hit trees at the bottom.

Mr McCormick, originally from Coventry, was driving a black Range Rover and was not injured in the collision which occurred shortly before 0600 BST.

Mr Peak suffered a suspected broken back and neck and remains in the University Hospital of North Staffordshire.

The family, from Partington, Manchester, were on a day out to the Silverstone racing circuit in Northamptonshire.

A family statement released on Sunday said Arron "loved life, especially football, at which he excelled" and Ben was a "happy, loving son and brother".

Three other people in the Toyota were released from hospital on Saturday.

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