Police have charged a man with a number of driving offences following a fatal crash in South Ockendon on New Year’s Eve.

Ravinder Matharu, 31, of Erriff Drive, South Ockendon, has been remanded to appear at Basildon Magistrates’ Court today, charged with causing death while disqualified from driving, causing death while uninsured, causing death by aggravated vehicle taking, failing to stop at the scene of an accident and failing to report an accident.

The charge follows the crash between a vehicle and a cyclist in Arisdale Avenue just before 7.50pm.

The cyclist was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers have provisionally name the victim as 43-year-old Alexandru Matei.

Police arrested a man in Purfleet at around 3pm the following day.