A MAN appeared at Burnley Magistrates Court today accused of murdering his 16-month-old baby son.

Glenn Shackleton, 27, of Bar Street, Duke Bar, Burnley, was charged with murdering Jack Andrew Shackleton at their home on Saturday. He was remanded in custody to appear at Preston Crown Court after a three-minute hearing. .

Georgina Shackleton, 23, of the same address, has been charged with neglect of Jack. She received police bail yesterday to appear at the court on Wednesday..

An ambulance crew was called to Bar Street at 2.15am on Saturday and took Jack to Burnley General Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Acting Detective Superintendent Mike Kellett, of Lancashire Police headquarters, is heading the inquiry. A post mortem examination was carried out on Jack by Home Office pathologist Dr John Rutherford and a specialist paediatric pathologist.

The death has shocked local people. Newsagent Colin Dawber said: "A neighbour told me they saw an ambulance pull up outside the house. There was a man running down the street as if he'd been to a telephone box. They saw the toddler being brought out and put in the ambulance.

"The house is rented and the young couple there have only lived there for a short time. No-one seems to know who they are or much about them. Everyone is talking about it but no-one really knows what happened."

Neighbours said they hardly saw the couple. One, who asked not to be named, said: "The guy across the road thought the house was empty. They'd only just moved here and we never saw them really."

The couple moved into the house last month from Abel Street, Burnley.

East Lancashire coroner David Smith has been informed.

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