Bedsit murder: Man charged (From The Bolton News)

Bedsit murder: Man charged

A MAN appeared before Bolton magistrates on Thursday charged with the murder of 35-year-old Michael Lingings.

Mr Lingings was found dead in his bedsit in Chorley Old Road, near Bolton town centre, early on Sunday morning.

William Thomas McCooke, aged 23, was charged on Wednesday with Mr Lingings'murder after being questioned by detectives for more than two days.

McCooke, of The Pungle, Westhoughton, had been arrested on Monday morning. He has also been charged with handling stolen goods. Three other men arrested at the same time as McCooke have been charged with other offences and were also appearing before magistrates.

Roy Andrew Hardman, aged 35, of Chorley Old Road, Bolton, was charged with theft, assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Martin Mcevilly, aged 33, of Thornbank East, Deane, was charged with assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

David Philip Johnson, aged 23, of Thornbank East, Deane, was also charged with assisting an offender and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Police were called to Mr Lingings'flat by a neighbour who had not seen him for several days.

A post mortem examination revealed that he died from a number of separate head injuries.

Mr Lingings, who was unemployed, was a single man and lived alone at the flat.

His family, who referred to him as Mick, this week paid tribute to him calling him a kind and loving person.