Two people have been charged with murder and are due to appear in court on Monday following the death of an 83-year-old man at his home last week.

Leighton Snook, 28, of no fixed address and a 16-year-old boy from Leicester, who cannot be named for legal reasons, have both been charged with murdering Donald Ralph on December 29.

Snook and the teenager are both due to appear at Colchester Magistrates’ Court to face a charge of murder on Monday.

The pair have been charged in connection with the death of Donald 'Don' Ralph, 83, who was found unresponsive in his home in Halstead Road, Aldham, near Colchester, shortly after 1pm on Tuesday, December 29, sparking a murder investigation.

A post-mortem examination found Mr Ralph had died from strangulation.

Snook will also face additional charges of possession of an offensive weapon and theft of a motor vehicle, while the teenager will also face a charge of theft of a motor vehicle.

Two men, aged 30 and 39, and a 21-year-old woman, all arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender, have been released on police bail while enquiries continue.