Murder charge over roadside death

Ted Trimmer had recently suffered a stroke

A man has been charged with murdering the 78-year-old brother of Hollywood actress Deborah Kerr.

Retired journalist Edmund Trimmer died on Monday after an alleged assault outside a post office in West Heath, Birmingham, on Tuesday lunchtime.

Mr Trimmer, who was known as Ted, was the former managing editor of Birmingham-based Central News.

West Midlands Police said a 55-year-old man from Redditch, Worcestershire, had been charged with his murder.

Mr Trimmer was the younger brother of Love on the Dole star Kerr, who was nominated for several Oscars for best actress for her roles in films such as From Here to Eternity and The King And I.

Kerr's agent Anne Hutton said the retired actress was not available for comment.

Deborah Kerr was nominated for several Oscars

Mr Trimmer, who worked in Fleet Street and for HTV, ATV and Central TV, had suffered a stroke in recent months.

He retired as managing editor of Birmingham-based Central News in 1989.

Central's controller of news Laurie Upshon described his former colleague as a "gentleman of the old school".

"I worked with him for about six or seven years and he was a lovely man," he said.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Tuesday.