A MAN whose partner was found dead on a country road near Kirkby Stephen has now been charged with causing her death by dangerous driving.

John Trevor Dent, 49, had previously been accused only of the lesser offence of causing the death of 49-year-old grandmother Rose-Marie Valente by careless driving while he was over the legal drink-driving limit.

He pleaded not guilty to that charge when he appeared at Carlisle Crown Court in January.

But back at the same court on Monday the prosecution revealed it had now decided to charge him with the more serious offence as well.

Dent pleaded not guilty to that charge too, and was remanded on bail to await his trial.

The case arises from an incident which resulted in Ms Valente, a mother-of-five from Woodside Crescent, Bingley, West Yorks, being found dead in Swindale Grange Lane, Brough, near Dent's home, early on the morning of February 27 last year.

The charges arose from Dent's driving the previous night when, it was alleged, he knocked Ms Valente down as she was walking down the narrow road near his home.

He will go on trial on July 9. In the meantime he was remanded on bail.