A murder trial jury has been discharged in the case of a teenager accused of stabbing a 63-year-old man from Bolton in Luton.

The seven women and five men were unable to reach a verdict at Luton Crown Court after 36 hours and 44 minutes of deliberations.

The 16-year-old boy is accused of the murder of Ghulam Raja in Dorrington Close, Luton, on Monday, November 15 last year.

Father-of-two Mr Raja of Wentworth Avenue, Bolton died in Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge on Saturday, November 20.

Mr Justice John Cavanagh told the jury: “You have been deliberated for a long time. I take the view there is no realistic prospect of a verdict.

"There will be retrial later this year in front of a different jury.”

No date has yet been fixed for the retrial.

The teenager was remanded in custody.

Following his death last year, tributes were paid to Mr Raja.

Cllr Mudasir Dean, who had known Mr Raja for a number of years, said: “This is a complete shock for the local community.

“He was a well-loved man who always had a smile on his face and was happy to meet people. My thoughts are with his wife and family at this time.”

Mr Raja was also known as a committed campaigner for freedom of expression in Kashmir.

Another friend, in Mirpur, Waseem Younas, said online it was a “very heartbreaking incident”.

He added that he was an “impressive, intelligent, courageous, hardworking polite... man of principle”.