TWO men are to appear in court charged with offences linked to the death of former ELO musician Mike Edwards who was killed by a runaway bale of silage.

Brian Burden and Russell Williams have been charged with health and safety offences relating to operations on farm land at Halwell, near Totnes.

They are due to appear before magistrates in Torquay on Friday, October 14, after a previous hearing was adjourned.

The 62-year-old Totnes musician, who was a member of the Electric Light Orchestra in the 1970s, died after the quarter-tonne bale rolled 60 yards down a steep field, crashed through a hedge and landed on the cab of his van as he drove along the A381 last September, crushing him to death.

Mr Burden, of Bickleigh Farm, faces two offences. The former parish councillor farmed the 300-acre land on which Mr Williams was carrying out a baling operation at the time of the tragedy.

The first charge alleges that he failed to conduct his 'undertaking, including the control of and instructions given to agricultural contractors, including Russell Williams, on how and where round bales were to be placed on Long Lands while awaiting collection by tractor in such a way so as to ensure, so far as is reasonably practicable, that other persons, including Mr Michael Edwards, who may be affected thereby were not exposed to risks to their health and safety, including being hit by a round bale rolling from Long Lands onto the A381'.

The second says Mr Burden 'did not make suitable and sufficient assessment of the risks to the health and safety of persons' not in his employment, including Mr Michael Edwards.

Mr Williams, an agricultural contractor of Wayside House, Forces Cross, Blackawton, also faces two charges under the Health and Safety Act of 2008.

Mr Edwards was delivering bottled water in a van when the accident happened at around 12.30pm on Friday, September 3, last year.

An inquest in March returned a verdict of accidental death.