A 15-year-old boy was last night charged with the murder of a 59-year-old man, police said.

The teenager, from Colchester, was due to appear at Witham Youth Court today, accused of killing Gary Belben.

Mr Belben, also from Colchester, was found dead at a house in the town on Monday. Post-mortem tests showed he died from head injuries.

The boy, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, was also charged with the attempted murder of a 42-year-old woman, police said.