Black ice at a notorious accident blackspot in Bewdley led to a crash which killed a young community policeman on his way to work, an inquest heard.

Coroner Geraint Williams recorded a verdict of accidental death on 21-year-old James Price.

An inquest at Stourport Coroners Court heard Mr Price, from Berrow Hill, Franche, Kidderminster, had been driving a silver Ford Fiesta which slid to one side, spun round and hit a Toyota Land Cruiser being driven by warehouse worker Paul Cowan from Bewdley.

Accident investigator Timothy Tritton said it was a very slow speed collision with the extremely icy weather being one of the main contributions.

Mr Price was confirmed dead at the scene in Habberley Road on January 12 and a post mortem revealed he died of multiple injuries.

Concluding the inquest Coroner Geraint Williams said: “There was ice on the road, this was the cause of Mr Price’s car losing control, not any inappropriate speed.”

Mr Price was a former pupil of Franche First School, Franche Middle and Wolverley High School and then graduated from Birmingham University. He had a son Adam, aged four, and a daughter Aewen, aged two.