A 16-year-old boy is set to appear in Chemlsford Crown Court today, charged with the murders of James Attfield and Nahid Al-Manea.

The Colchester youth, who can't be named because of a court order, made his first court appearance during a brief hearing in magistrates' court on Saturday.

Detectives investigating the deaths said the teenager had been charged on the authority of the Crown Prosecution Service.

The teenager was also charged with possessing an offensive weapon.

Wearing a grey tracksuit, the teenager, who was flanked by two security guards, was quiet and relaxed in the dock.

His parents, who were sitting in the public gallery, appeared emotional as the charges were read. The teenager smiled at his parents as he was brought in.

During the six-minute hearing, he spoke only to confirm his name, date of birth and to say he understood the proceedings.

Paul Hole, chairman of the bench, remanded the teenager in custody to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court on Monday.

He was arrested on the Salary Brook Trail, in Colchester, just after 11am on Tuesday, on suspicion of possession of a lock knife.

Following enquiries by detectives he was further arrested on suspicion of the murders of James and Nahid.

Det Chief Supt Steve Worron, of the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate, said: "We have received excellent backing throughout the investigations into both James and Nahid’s deaths from the whole community in Colchester and I would like to thank them all again for their continued support.

"We are continuing our enquiries and if anyone believes they have any information relating to either James or Nahid’s deaths I would ask them to contact us as soon as possible.”

Nick Alston, Police and Crime Commissioner for Essex, added: "I am immensely grateful for the ongoing efforts of Essex Police to investigate the murders of James Attfield and Nahid Almanea.

"I would echo the comments of Det Chief Supt Steve Worron in his statement here, thanking everyone in Colchester for their continued support."

James Attfield was murdered in March last year. The 33-year-old, also known as Jim, was found on the Riverside Path in Colchester in the early hours of March 29, with more than 100 stab wounds to his body.

Nahid Almanea, a student at the University of Essex, was murdered on June 17 on the Salary Brook Trail in Colchester as she walked from her student accommodation in nearby Woodrow Way to the university complex in Wivenhoe.

The 31-year-old is believed to have been attacked at around 10.40am and died as a result of stab wounds.

Specialist police teams today searched the Wivenhoe Trail, between Colchester and Wivenhoe, for murder weapons relating to both investigations.

A 40m section of the Colne and its banks were cordoned off after police received new information.

Police used metal detectors to comb the riverbank at low tide.

Anyone with information can call Essex Police on 101 or contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.