Four people have appeared before Colchester magistrates charged with manslaughter and concealing a body.

A fifth man who faces a charge of concealing a body also appeared before magistrates on Friday.

Barry Coppin, 35, of Wisteria Court, Colchester, Stewart Skinner, 34, of Sherwood Close, Greenstead, Anne Marie Shard, 29, and Diane Nichols, 28, both of Mimosa Court, Acacia Avenue, Colchester, all face charges of manslaughter between September 23 and 24 and conspiring to conceal a body between September 22 and September 26.

Paul Whiteley, 34, of Mundon Road, Maldon, is also charged with conspiracy to conceal a body between the same dates.

The case was adjourned with Coppin, Skinner, Shard and Nichols on conditional bail until January 14 and Whiteley given conditional bail until today.

Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.