Two men have appeared in court accused of the murder of a man who died in Downham Market almost nine years ago.

Lester Aisthorpe, 58, and Steven Louro, 42, are due to stand trial after both pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jan Hogan on May 23, 2010.

Aisthorpe, of Basil Drive, Downham Market, and Louro, of South Lynn Plain, King's Lynn, appeared at Norwich Crown Court on Thursday (March 21) for a pre-trial review.

Aisthorpe, who wore a blue tracksuit top and has a goatee beard and Louro, who wore a striped T-shirt and has tattoos on his neck, also denied a charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice on the same date.

It is alleged that they moved the body of Mr Hogan and staged a scene of suicide, which included the application of a ligature to his neck and that had a tendency to pervert the course of justice.

The hearing heard that one of the key witnesses in the case was pregnant and due to have a baby at around the time the trial was due to start.

Judge Stephen Holt, who indicated that a High Court Judge was due to preside over the case, said 'quite a bit of progress' had been made in the case.

A trial date had already been set for April 29 and Judge Holt said it would 'remain at the end of April'.

Both men were remanded in custody until the trial which is expected to last about three weeks.

Father-of-five Mr Hogan's body was found at his flat in Basil Drive on May 23 2010.

Detectives from the Major Investigation Team (MIT) carried out an investigation into his case at the time.

Both men were charged following further investigation by the Norfolk and Suffolk MIT.