A man has been charged with murder and three others have been arrested after a woman was found dead at a house in Blackburn on Saturday (March 4).

Police were were called at around 7.55am to reports an assault had occurred on the evening of Friday (March 3) in Mill Hill.

A short time later the body of a woman was found at an address in Primrose Terrace.

The woman can now be named as Charlotte Wilcock aged 31, from Blackburn.

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Her family are being supported by specially-trained officers and police have sent them their condolences "at this truly awful time".

An investigation was launched and a man, aged 30, from Blackburn was arrested on suspicion of murder.

On Sunday, Anthony Stinson, 30, of Queen Victoria Street, Blackburn, was charged with murder and is due to appear at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court this morning (March 6).

Three more men, aged 32 and 24 from Blackburn, and aged 31 from Clitheroe, were arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender and have since been released under investigation.

Lancashire Police also disclosed it has referred itself to the Independent Office for Police Conduct in relation to the incident.

DCI Jill Johnston, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “First and foremost our thoughts are with Charlotte’s family, and we ask that their privacy be respected at this truly distressing and difficult time.

“A call came in to us on Saturday reporting an assault in the Mill Hill area and we found Charlotte’s body inside the address on Primrose Terrace a short time later.

"A man was arrested on suspicion of murder and an investigation launched to find out exactly what occurred.

“A man has now been charged with causing Charlotte’s death, however our investigation is very much ongoing and we ask anybody who may have information to get in touch."

If you have any information which could assist the police's investigation, you are asked to call 101, quoting log 336 of March 4.

Alternatively you can report information online at doitonline.lancashire.police.uk or you can call Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111 or at crimestoppers-uk.org.

A police spokesperson added: "We have referred the matter to the Independent Office of Police Conduct following previous contact between the force and the man who has been charged. This is standard practice in such circumstances."