Bryan Ferry's son remanded in custody accused of nobbling witnesses in 'theft' trial

Magistrates at Cheltenham sent the 25-year-old huntsman and countryside campaigner to Gloucester Crown Court on two charges of intending to pervert the course of justice.

They agreed to grant Ferry bail on the new charges pending a preliminary appearance at Gloucester crown Court on October 1.

Otis Ferry was arrested as his trial for assault and robbery was adjourned. Right:  His rock star father Bryan (file pictures)

But he was kept in custody despite their decision after prosecutor Peter Ashby lodged an immediate appeal against him having bail.

Ferry will now go before Judge Martin Picton at the crown court on Friday to ask for bail.

Ferry, of Cross Hands, Eaton Mascot, Shropshire, is said to have contacted his former hunt groomsman, David Hodgkiss, pressurising him not to give evidence against him.

Mr Hodgkiss had been scheduled to give evidence this week in Ferry's crown court trial on charges of robbing a woman hunt monitor of a camera and assaulting her during a meeting of the Heythrop Hunt at Lower Swell, near Stow on the Wold, Gloucestershire, on November 21 last year.

The trial got no further than a jury being sworn in and was adjourned on Wednesday for at least four weeks.

Judge Martin Picton refused to say why he was halting the hearing but Ferry was arrested as he left the court in Cirencester.

He was remanded in custody overnight.

On Thursday, still wearing the same blue suit, open-neck shirt and green pullover as on the previous day, he appeared before magistrates in Cheltenham to face the new charges that he did acts tending to pervert the course of public justice.

The first charge alleges that on September 8 at Caynham, Ludlow, Shropshire, with intent to pervert the course of public justice, he telephoned Mr Hodgkiss - a potential-witness in criminal proceedings against him - and 'instructed him not to provide the police with certain evidence in relation to an allegation of robbery'.

The second charge alleges that between September 7 and 17 Ferry did a series of acts tending to pervert the course of justice by telephoning Mr Hodgkiss and stating that he 'would discredit him as a disgruntled former employee'.

Philip Lucas, defending, applied for bail at the hearing and the magistrates agreed to grant it on the condition that Ferry made no contact with prosecution witnesses.

But Ferry stayed in custody after the prosecutor announced he had instructions to appeal against the granting of bail.

The appeal against the bail refusal must be heard within 48 hours at Gloucester Crown Court.