A pensioner has been convicted of killing an actress in a head-on road collision.

Michael Challis, 71, of Lister Road in Leytonstone, was found guilty of the death by dangerous driving at Reading Crown Court on Friday.

The car Challis was driving in Berkshire veered into a lane for traffic travelling in the opposite direction in February last year. 

His car collided with the silver Nissan Micra driven by Katherine Howard, 32, who died at the scene.

Challis pleaded not guilty in court to causing the death of Mrs Howard, who had appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe festival.

He claimed he lost control of his car when it was hit by another vehicle, but this was rejected by the jury.

Challis is due to be sentenced on November 25.

For more on this story, see this week's Guardian - out Thursday