A police vehicle examiner today told a court the Land Rover driven by the man accused of causing the deaths of 10 men in the Selby rail disaster had no defects which could explain why it veered off a motorway.

Ian Charlton, a civilian who works for Humberside Police, said the wreck of the vehicle was thoroughly investigated following the accident on February 28, along with its trailer and a Renault car which had been on the trailer.

He told a jury nothing was found which could explain why the Land Rover, which was driven by builder Gary Hart, left the M62 before it ploughed down an embankment and came to rest on the East Coast mainline.

The court has heard how it was then hit by a GNER express train heading for London at 117mph.

About 500 yards further down the line the derailed passenger express then crashed into an oncoming goods train pulling 16 wagons filled with 1,600 tonnes of coal.

Mr Charlton, who said he had 22 years experience as a vehicle examiner, was giving evidence on the fourth day of Hart's trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Hart, 37, of Strubby, Lincolnshire, denies 10 counts of causing death by dangerous driving.

Mr Charlton said the only defects found in any of three vehicles was a slight balding of one of the trailer's tyres and that the trailer's braking system was not adjusted for optimum efficiency.

He said neither of these could have contributed to the accident.

Mr Charlton said: "We concluded that although the brakes of the trailer weren't adjusted to the best efficiency they worked and would have worked prior to the accident."

He added: "The reduction in braking efficiency would have had no effect on the accident."

Mr Charlton said the Land Rover itself had no defects in its steering, tyres or engine. Asked if he found anything which would have caused the accident he said: "Nothing".

The vehicle's clock stopped at 6.13am, when the accident happened.

Last week the prosecution alleged Hart's Land Rover left the M62 after he fell asleep at the wheel.

The court heard he had been up the night before chatting to Kristeen Panter, a woman he had met through an Internet dating agency.