Fifth teen charged with murder of sixth-former

A fifth teenager has been charged with murder following the fatal stabbing of a boy.

Thomas Taylor, 17, died in the incident in Greenhill Street near a bus station in Bedford, just before 18:00 GMT on 8 January.

Bedfordshire Police said the fifth person - a 17-year-old boy - was charged with murder on Wednesday and had been remanded into custody.

A post-mortem examination on Tuesday gave the preliminary cause of Thomas' death as stab wounds.

Ahmed Adam and Bennett Ndenkeh, both 18, and two boys aged 16 and 17, who cannot be named for legal reasons, appeared via video link at a preliminary hearing at Luton Crown Court on Wednesday to face charges of murder.

Judge Andrew Hatton has set a provisional trial date of 30 June and said the case would next be considered at a hearing on 14 February.

Mr Adam, of Mardale Close, Kempston, Bedford; Mr Ndenkeh, of Midland Road, Bedford, and the two younger teenage defendants have all been remanded, either in custody or in secure accommodation, pending further hearings.

A further two teenagers arrested and released on bail would now have no further action taken against them in relation to the killing of the sixth form student, police said.

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