STOKE City fan Dave Smith was knocked down and killed by a runaway van after it was hit by a car driven by a BBC cameraman, a court heard.

Delivery driver Larkland May had failed to apply the handbrake on his Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van in a London street as he delivered office stationery, his manslaughter trial heard.

Southwark Crown Court heard the van was sent rolling down Pudding Lane after it was nudged by a Saab driven by a BBC employee working on a documentary about poet TS Eliot.

It crashed into pedestrians Mr Smith, of Alsager, pictured, and German national Claudia Kauert as they stood on a pavement.

Mr Smith, aged 24, who had moved to London two weeks earlier to work for Lloyds TSB, died hours later in hospital.

Prosecutor Christopher Hehir told the court that the deaths were "accidents waiting to happen".

Mr Hehir said: "The defendant did not apply the handbrake on his van. Only a small amount of force would have been enough to set the vehicle rolling down the road.

"The front near side bumper of the Saab clipped the rear of the van with only the slightest amount of contact, but it was enough to set the van in motion.

"While Mr May was making a delivery, the van began to roll down Pudding Lane and strayed left due to a camber in the road, which took it on to the pavement where the two pedestrians had the misfortune of being at the time. Both suffered massive injuries and died on the same day in utterly tragic circumstances.

"They were in the wrong place at the wrong time."

The court heard May, who lives in London, had partially blocked the narrow junction into Monument Street when he parked his vehicle at the top of a five per cent gradient road to make his delivery on April 24 last year.

After being nudged by the car, the 3.27-tonne van reached a top speed of 12 mph as it took 12 seconds to travel 29.7 metres (97.4 feet) down Pudding Lane before crashing into a concrete pillar.

The court heard 52-year-old May had broken the Highway Code by failing to leave the van in reverse gear when at the top of the incline and by not turning the wheels towards the kerb.

The court saw CCTV footage showing the van hit former Alsager School pupil Mr Smith before crashing into Ms Kauert moments later.

IT worker Mr Smith suffered "grievous" crushing injuries to his torso and chest and was pronounced dead about three hours later.

Ms Kauert, who had been pinned between the van and the concrete pillar, died at the scene.

Mr Hehir added: "Both were walking with their backs to the van and would not have seen it coming nor heard it, because its engine was turned off.

"If they had been walking the other way then perhaps they would have been able to take some evasive action."

May denies manslaughter and causing death by careless driving.

The trial continues.