AN elderly driver has admitted causing the death of a minister as he reversed out of a train station to avoid a newly installed anti-terror barrier.

Kelman Edwards, 78, went to stop for pedestrians but hit the accelerator pedal instead of the brake, sending his Vauxhall Astra speeding across the road and hitting Thomas Sinclair, who had been attending the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland.

The car then crashed into a stationery Airlink bus on the opposite side of the road. As he drove forward, his car hit Mr Sinclair, of the Isle of Harris, again.

At Edinburgh Sheriff Court Edwards of Priestfield Road in the city, pled guilty to causing the death of Mr Sinclair on May 19 last year by driving without due care and attention.

Defence solicitor, Jim Stephenson, said his client, who had no previous convictions of any kind, had been devastated by the accident and had lost three stone in weight. He was also said to have voluntarily given up his driving licence.

Sheriff Frank Crowe deferred sentence until next month for a background report and applied an interim driving disqualification.