THREE men were due to appear at court today charged with murdering Burnley man Colin Hughes.

Mr Hughes, 40, of Beverley Street, died in Burnley General Hospital on Friday after being found by police officers lying in a pool of blood just yards from his terraced home earlier that day.

Lee Anthony Brindle, 18, of Airdrie Crescent, Dean Andrew Ormonde, 21, of Comrie Crescent, and 28-year-old Andrew James Redfern, also of Comrie Crescent, were charged with Mr Hughes' murder on Saturday. They were due to appear at Burnley Magistrates' Court.

Mr Hughes, who worked at Padiham boilermakers Potterton Myers, had been out for a drink with his long-time girlfriend Jacqui Pritchard, who also used Mr Hughes' surname, at the Coal Clough public house.

He was attacked in a back street off Coal Clough Lane.

A police family liaison officer spent much of the weekend with Jacqui, who was left distraught and shaken. She was too upset to comment about the incident and asked that a photograph of Mr Hughes not be released to the Press, police said. The couple had no children.

One of Mr Hughes' two brothers, Alan, also declined to comment. Friends at the pub were rallying round to support Jacqui and Mr Hughes' family. He also leaves his mother and a sister.

A post mortem examination carried out by Home Office pathologist Dr John Rutherford found Mr Hughes died from fatal head injuries. No weapon was involved. East Lancashire coroner David Smith has been informed.

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