THE MAN accused of driving a minibus into the path of an express train in Charlton near Pershore was due to give evidence at Wolverhampton Crown Court today.

Iraqi national Adnan Kadir Karim told police investigating the triple fatal accident at Charlton he could not read English road signs.

The 25-year-old is charged with three counts of manslaughter resulting from the crash on the unmanned level crossing on July 7 last year.

Christopher Millington QC, prosecuting at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Monday, said Karim was driving a white van carrying migrant workers when it was hit by a London bound train travelling at 90mph.

Soran Karim, aged 23, an Iraqi, Satish Kumar, aged 28, from India, and Islam Uddin Ahmed, aged 46, from Bangladesh, all died and Mr Millington alleged that Karim, of Handsworth, Birmingham, steered the minibus on to the level crossing in total disregard for the safety of his passengers.

"We say that this is a case of manslaughter by criminal negligence," he said.

The court heard that Karim, who denies the charges, had persistently denied being the driver but Mr Millington told the jury forensic evidence, including blood stains in the driver's footwell and fibres matching defendant's fleece found on the driver's seat, would show he was.

Mr Millington said Karim ignored safety features including an underpass, stop signs and a phone linked to the signal box at Evesham and said: "This defendant simply drove straight on to the line regardless or heedless to the risks involved, with the tragic consequences that followed."

He dismissed Karim's claims during police interviews that the day of the collision was the only time he had been at the farm where the accident happened. He said there was abundant evidence showing the defendant was a frequent visitor there and would have been well aware of the railway.

He also disclosed that during interviews he told police he had never taken a driving test and that he couldn't read English road signs.

Karim, who listened through an interpreter, allegedly organised labour for an agency providing workers at the site, recruiting foreign workers from a Kurdish caf in Handsworth.

Mr Millington said hundreds of such people from Iraq, Eastern Europe and India were harvesting salad onions at the farm on the day of the collision, which he described as a "gruesome spectacle."

The case continues and is expected to last until next Tuesday.