Andrew Harper: PC murder accused Jed Foster appears in court

A man accused of murdering a police officer killed while investigating a burglary has appeared in court.

Jed Foster, 20, is charged with killing PC Andrew Harper, 28, who was dragged along a road by a vehicle in Sulhamstead, Berkshire.

He did not enter a plea and was remanded in custody when he appeared via video link at Reading Crown Court.

Mr Foster, of Pingewood, Burghfield, was told a provisional trial date of 20 January 2020 had been fixed.

PC Harper, who got married four weeks ago, was killed on the A4 Bath Road.

The roads policing officer, who became a regular officer in 2011 after joining as a special constable a year earlier, had attended a reported break-in with a fellow officer in Sulhamstead at about 23:30 BST on 15 August.

A post-mortem examination concluded that he died of multiple injuries.

The officer on duty with PC Harper was not physically injured but is being given emotional support, Thames Valley Police said.

Nine other boys and men who were arrested, aged between 13 and 30, have been released on bail until 13 September.