A teenager who is charged with robbing a taxi driver of his takings is to stand trial before a judge and jury.

Ben Wright pleaded not guilty to the allegation when he appeared at Swindon Crown Court on Thursday.

The 19-year-old is said to have robbed V-cars cabbie Rana Gulistan of a bag and a quantity of cash in the early hours of Sunday December 7.

Wright, of Harvard Close, Bowerhill, Melksham, will stand trial on Tuesday May 12 and Judge Douglas Field released him on unconditional bail until then.

Mr Gulistan claims he was robbed after picking up a fare from the cab firm’s Swindon town centre office to go to Melksham shortly before 6am on the Sunday morning.

It is alleged that the robbery took place as he dropped off the fare at Catalena Court in the Bowerhill area of the town.