MANSLAUGHTER charges against six children following the death of pensioner Sheila Bridge have been dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Two of the youngsters walked free from court after related charges of threatening behaviour, conspiracy to commit burglary and criminal damage were also dismissed by the youth court while the remaining four face charges of burglary.

Sarah Statham, prosecuting, told a youth panel at Reedley: "The charge of manslaughter has been considered extremely carefully by the Crown Prosecution Service in consultation with the police, the Home Office pathologist and senior counsel and through those discussions the decision has been reached that there is not a prospect here for reasonable conviction."

Mrs Bridge, 62, suffered a heart attack in her home just 11 minutes after calling the police to report a group of youths causing a disturbance outside her home in Lansbury Place, Nelson.

Her husband Fred, who was suffering from emphysema and was being cared for by Mrs Bridge, found her dead in the bathroom a short time after they had gone to bed.

Two of the children originally charged with the manslaughter -- a 14-year-old boy who spent 10 weeks in secure accommodation and a 13-year-old girl, who was in local authority care -- heard that all the charges of burglary, conspiracy to commit burglary, threatening behaviour and manslaughter had been dropped against them.

A bail application of behalf of the 12-year-old girl, who has been in secure accommodation since her first court appearance in July, was granted by the youth panel, despite objections by the prosecution that she may re-offend or abscond.

The girl pleaded guilty yesterday to the burglary at Mrs Bridge's bungalow on June 26 and a further charge of attempted burglary at a second house in Lansbury Place on the same day.

The court said she was allowed to live with her father in Nelson with the condition that she remain indoors between 8pm and 8am.

She will return to Reedley Youth Court on Monday, October 1. The 11 and 10-year-old boys will remain in local authority care until October 1.