Victims’ families have gathered at the Old Bailey for the trial of a tram driver accused over the Croydon crash that claimed the lives of seven passengers more than six years ago.

On Tuesday, Alfred Dorris, 49, attended the court charged with an alleged health and safety failing in relation to the fatal crash on November 9 2016.

Seven people were killed and 51 injured when tram 2551 spun off the tracks and toppled over near the Sandilands stop in Croydon.

The victims were: Dane Chinnery, 19, Philip Seary, 57, Dorota Rynkiewicz, 35, Robert Huxley, 63, and Philip Logan, 52, all from New Addington, and Donald Collett, 62, and Mark Smith, 35, both from Croydon.

Dorris denies a single charge of failing to take reasonable care at work under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974.

According to the indictment against him, he failed to “take reasonable care for the health and safety of himself and of other persons who may be affected by his acts or omissions at work, namely passengers on board tram 2551”.

The charge goes on to allege that Dorris “failed to negotiate tram 2551 around the Sandilands curve at a safe speed so as to prevent the tram from derailing and overturning”.

The trial is being heard by senior judge Mr Justice Fraser in Court One of the Old Bailey.

Members of the victims’ families sat in court for the first day of the case which is expected to be opened by prosecutor Jonathan Ashley-Norman KC on Wednesday.

The prosecution is being brought by regulator, the Office of Rail and Road and is due to go on for up to five weeks.

Dorris of Ravenscroft Road, Beckhenham, is being represented in court by barrister Miles Bennett.