A SON charged with the murder of his elderly mother is due to appear at Liverpool Crown Court for a further hearing in May.

Unemployed father-of-three Stanley Crank, aged 45, of Cross Street, Bolton, is accused of murdering 76-year-old Mary Ellen Crank at her home in Kingscourt Avenue, off Chorley Old Road, Bolton, last month.

Duncan Runciman, aged 45, of Laurel Court, Bolton, is also charged with Mrs Crank's murder.

The body of the grandmother-of-three was found in her kitchen on February 23. She had celebrated her 76th birthday just four days before her death and friends joined her for a party at Victory Community Centre in Chorley Old Road on the night she died. A post mortem examination found she died from stab wounds.

Crank and Runciman were remanded in custody at Manchester Crown Court to appear at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday, May 12.