Man dies after car hit pedestrians on Christmas Day

Aidan Chapman died in hospital on New Year's Eve

A man who was hurt when a car hit pedestrians in London's West End on Christmas Day has died.

Aidan Chapman, 25, died in hospital on New Year's Eve from the injuries he sustained, the Met Police said.

He was one of four pedestrians hit by a car which was travelling on the wrong side of the road in Shaftesbury Avenue in Soho - in the capital's theatre district - at 00:45 GMT.

Anthony Gilheaney, 30, from Harlow in Essex, has been charged with four counts of attempted murder as well as causing serious injury by driving whilst disqualified, driving a motor vehicle dangerously and possessing a knife in a public place.

Details of the charges include that Mr Gilheaney was driving a Mercedes Benz E-Class car when the incident took place, and that he had a small knife in Lincoln's Inn Fields on the same day.

He was remanded in custody to appear at the Old Bailey on 24 January, following his appearance before Westminster magistrates on Friday.

Following Mr Chapman's death, the Met said the court would review the charges.

Four pedestrians were hit by a car travelling on the wrong side of the road in Shaftesbury Avenue in Soho

The force's Specialist Crime Command is now leading the investigation and Mr Chapman's death is being treated as a homicide.

It added Mr Chapman's family had been informed of his death and were being supported by specialist officers.

'Funny soul'

His parents said in a statement that losing their son was "a parent's worst nightmare".

"We are utterly devastated with the loss of Aidan, he enriched everyone's lives," they continued.

"He was a loving, kind, funny soul and the world is a darker place without him. We, his parents, have lost the best part of ourselves."

A post-mortem examination is due to take place at a later date, police said.

Det Ch Insp Wayne Jolley, from the Met's Specialist Crime Command which is leading the investigation, said the incident had been confirmed as an isolated incident and that it was not terror-related.

"We would appeal to anyone who holds any CCTV or dashcam or mobile phone footage of the incident to come forward, as well as anyone else who might have had contact with the suspect that evening," he said.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or contact the charity Crimestoppers anonymously.