A WARRANT has been issued for the arrest of a 12-year-old girl -- one of six children charged with the manslaughter of Nelson pensioner Sheila Bridge -- after she escaped from Reedley Youth Court yesterday.

The girl was sent to a secure unit for a third week by a youth panel last week for fear she would abscond or commit other offences if allowed bail.

She had been brought to the court yesterday to hear whether her case would be sent to Crown Court and to renew her remand conditions.

As the bench was hearing an application by the prosecution to allow Mrs Bridge's daughter, Patricia Taylor, to sit in on proceedings they were asked to retire.

It was revealed a short time later that one of the girls involved in the case had absconded from the court's precincts and the youth panel returned to issue a warrant for her arrest.

All six children are charged with the manslaughter of Sheila Bridge, as well as with burglary at her home in Lansbury Place and public order offences. One of them, a 15-year-old-boy is also charged with a second burglary on the same night in Bennett Street.

The case was adjourned for six weeks until September 3 when committal proceedings in relation to both the charge of manslaughter and the burglaries will take place at Reedley Youth Court.

Defence solicitors said they were unable to continue yesterday because, although they have seen the Home Office pathologist's post mortem report, they are still awaiting their own report.

A 13-year-old girl and the ten and 11-year-old boys were returned to local authority care until August 20. A 14 -year-old was sent back to a secure unit and the 15-year-old boy was returned to the remand centre where they have spent the last three weeks.

Mrs Bridge, 62, died 11 minutes after she telephoned police to report nuisance youths outside her bungalow.

It is alleged a group of youths had been banging on her bedroom window and had reached through an open window to steal a vase of plastic flowers from a windowsill.