Pair deny charge over catapult death

Mr Yankov died after being fired from a replica medieval catapult

Two men accused of the manslaughter of an Oxford University student have denied the charge at Bristol Crown Court.

Kostadin Yankov, 19, from Bulgaria, died taking part in a human catapult event at Middlemoor Water Park in Fiddington, Somerset.

Richard Wicks, 32, of Burnham-on-Sea, and David Aitkenhead, 44, of Fiddington, both pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter charge.

At Bristol Crown Court, Judge Simon Darwall-Smith released the two men on bail to appear again on 5 December.

A trial date was not set.

Mr Yankov, a first year biochemistry student, was airlifted to Frenchay Hospital in Bristol following the incident in November 2002 but died later that night.