A 16-year-old boy accused of strangling a teaching assistant in a random attack will face trial next February.

The youth, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, is charged with the murder of 47-year-old mother-of-two Lindsay Birbeck, whose body was found in Accrington Cemetery.

The teenager, from Accrington, appeared at Preston Crown Court via video-link from custody this morning for a 20-minute preliminary hearing.

He spoke only to confirm his identity, his date of birth and his nationality.

No plea was entered and no application for bail was made.

The boy will next appear at Preston Crown Court for a plea and trial preparation hearing on December 13.

A trial date of February 25 was fixed for the same court and is expected to last two weeks.

Members of the youth's family sat in the front row of the public gallery during the brief hearing, while relatives of Mrs Birbeck sat at the back.

Mrs Birbeck went missing from her home in Huncoat, Accrington, on Monday August 12, and her disappearance prompted wide-ranging searches by hundreds of members of the community.

Her body was found in Accrington Cemetery on Saturday, August 24, and a murder inquiry was launched.

A post-mortem examination showed she died as a result of compression of the neck.

Lancashire Telegraph:

Paying tribute, her two children Steven, 19, and Sarah, 16, described her as “a great mum and wife, much-loved daughter, loving aunty and sister-in-law and a great friend”.