A Surrey Police officer has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a pedestrian was fatally hit by a police car in Hersham last year.

PC John Wright, 39, was driving a Ford Mondeo police responding to an emergency call, when he allegedly hit 75-year-old Archibald McIlveen on the A244 Esher Road, close to Ramornie Close.

Mr McIlveen, who was from Islington, died at the scene and his body was taken to Royal Surrey County Hospital.

It is believed he was in the area to visit his son.

With the agreement of the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), Thames Valley Police conducted an independent investigation into the incident.

PC Wright, who was on the North Surrey Targeted Patrol Team based at Esher police station at the time of the incident, was charged at Slough police station this afternoon and will appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, May 5.

In line with the police’s internal policy, he was suspended from driving following the fatality and transferred to a role that does not involve interaction with the public.

He was also moved to a different police station.

Breda Bass, a resident living opposite the crash scene, said at the time of the incident: “The body was lying there for about two hours.

"One of my neighbours went out and offered them a black bin liner to cover it because she didn’t want her little girl to see it.

“I saw a police officer sobbing into another officer’s shoulder and thought, ‘you poor thing’.

"He was in pieces.”

Surrey Police declared a critical incident after the collision and closed the road overnight between the roundabouts at West End Lane and Molesey Road, while investigators examined the scene.