Nigel John Gresham, 37, of Witham Drive, Chapel Hill has appeared at Grantham Magistrates Court charged with four counts of causing death by dangerous driving following the crash on Sunday September 16 last year in which his vehicle left the road and went into the River Witham at Witham Bank, Tattershall Bridge.

Police charged him today (Monday) and he was remanded in custody to appear this afternoon at Grantham Magistrates' Court.

Gresham, who no longer lives with partner Sarah Bolland and the surviving children, spoke only to confirm his name, age and address.

He did not enter any pleas and was granted bail after a 30-minute hearing. He will next appear before a judge at Lincoln Crown Court on July 29.

The maximum sentence for causing death by dangerous driving is 14 years.

Explaining the decision to charge him, Jaswant Kaur Narwal, chief crown prosecutor for Lincolnshire, said: "This is a very sad case and we have spent a great deal of time reviewing the evidence and considering the public interest before making the decision to prosecute.

"It is not a decision which has been taken lightly given the tragic deaths of Mr Gresham's children and the loss he has suffered as their father."

Mr Gresham and his partner, Sara Bolland, of Chapel Hill, were in a Land Rover with their children, Willow, two, Angel, four, Thor, six, Keavy, eight, Amber, 10, Liam, 12, and Star, 13, when it went into the River Witham.

Willow, Angel, Thor and Keavy all died in the following few days.

* Read more on this story in Wednesday's Sleaford Standard.