A MAN has appeared in court charged with causing the deaths of two people on a busy North-East road at the weekend.

Paul Henshaw, 54, a father-of-three, faced two counts of driving without due care and attention and while unfit to drive through alcohol, which resulted in the deaths of Andrew Grimes and Lillian Prest, both 44, on the A19 on Saturday night.

They were pronounced dead at the scene after Mr Henshaw's Mitsubishi car attempted to cross the southbound carriageway from the central reservation, at the Elwick turn off, near Hartlepool.

The Mitsubishi is alleged to have smashed into Mr Grimes Ford Escort as it travelled south.

Mr Henshaw is also charged with having no driving licence and no insurance.

Mr Grimes, an unemployed mechanic from Middlesbrough, had five children and was also a grandfather.

And Ms Prest, from Murton in County Durham, had two children.

Mr Henshaw, from Sheffield, suffered a broken sternum, while his 66-year-old female passenger suffered a bump to the head.

They were both taken to the University Hospital of North Tees for treatment and were later released.

Yesterday, at Hartlepool Magistrates Court Mr Henshaw was not asked to enter pleas to the charges.

He was remanded into custody and will appear before Teesside Crown Court next Tuesday (Nov 11).

Any witnesses to the crash are being urged to contact Cleveland Road Policing Unit on 01642-301552.