A ST HELENS man has appeared at Liverpool Crown Court charged in connection with the theft of almost £200,000 worth of fertiliser.

Terance Duggan, 59, from Gorsey Lane in Bold, appeared in the dock along with Barry Sargent from Wallasey and Edward Edwards from Denbighshire.

Sargent, 36, is accused of stealing 26 loads of urea fertiliser worth £194,747 from his employers NW Trading based at Cavendish Wharf in Birkenhead between March 1 2012 and October 10 last year.

Duggan and Edwards, 72, are both charged with handling the stolen fertiliser over the same 19 month period.

All three were remanded on bail until the end of August when they are expected to enter their pleas.

A date for their trial was fixed to begin on Monday, November 3.