Parents accused of lying to protect their son from prosecution will be called before magistrates today charged with perverting the course of justice.

Anthony and Danielle Bairfelt, of Dunlin Court, Kelvedon, are due to appear at Colchester Magistrates Court alongside their son, Scott, who has also been charged with giving false information to evade prosecution.

The 23-year-old, who lives with his parents, faces a string of other motoring offences said to have taken place in Colchester on August 1, 2013, which the family is accused of lying about. He is alleged to have stolen a Ford Fiesta on that date and driven it without due care and attention in the car park of the Harvester Restaurant in Stanway, near Colchester.

Further charges state that he failed to stop after crashing into a Mini, causing damage to its front wing and nearside door. Scott Bairfelt also faces charges of failing to report the accident to police within 24 hours and of driving without insurance.

His 50-year-old father is accused of giving false information to the police in Colchester between August 1, 2013, and January 7, 2014, so that his son could evade prosecution.

Danielle Bairfelt, 47, Scott’s mother, is also accused of giving false information to the police in Colchester to protect her son from prosecution. It is alleged she did this on November 8, 2013. While the magistrates possess sufficient sentencing powers to deal with the five motoring offences Scott Bairfelt has been charged with, they will be unable to make a decision on the more serious perversion of justice charges faced by all three family members.

Perverting the course of justice is an indictable only offence, which means it must be heard before crown court.