A WOMAN has confessed to the brutal killing of seven-year-old Emily Jones in a Bolton park.

Eltiona Skana, 30, has pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to the manslaughter of Emily earlier this year.

An inquest earlier this year heard little Emily was with her dad, enjoying a Mother's Day ride on her scooter in Queen's Park when she was fatally stabbed on March 22,

She was the daughter of credit manager Mark Jones and solicitor Sarah Barnes, from the Doffcocker area.

The inquest heard that as she rode past a wooden bench, a female sat on the bench suddenly attacked Emily, stabbing her in the neck, causing a catastrophic injury.

The youngster was taken to Salford Royal Hospital, but despite best efforts to save Emily her death was diagnosed just before 4pm.

Skana has been in a high-security mental health facility following her arrest.

She appeared in court via a video link from Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire and was accompanied by a member of her legal team.

Skana, originally from Albania, but living in Ernest Street, Bolton, pleaded not guilty to an alternative charge of the murder of the youngster.

Prosecuting lawyers now have seven days to consider the plea. A trial on the count of murder is scheduled to begin on November 23.