A man has today admitted starting a flat fire in Folkestone in which the body of a 46-year-old woman was found.

Liam Petts, 25, pleaded guilty to manslaughter and arson after Nicola Shaba was discovered dead in the torched property in Shorncliffe Road, Folkestone.

Petts, who appeared at Maidstone Crown Court via a CCTV link from hospital, had been charged with murder.

But prosecutor Paul Jarvis told Judge Philip St John-Stevens the guilty plea to manslaughter was accepted.

The fire started at the property on February 17 last year.

Petts was arrested two days after and then charged with murder and arson reckless as to whether life was endangered six days after the blaze.

Following the plea, the judge spoke to a number of members of Ms Shaba's family sat in the public gallery.

He told them Petts had pleaded guilty to causing Ms Shaba's death at a time when he was unable to make a rational judgement because it was substantially impaired because of mental health issues at the time.

Sentence was adjourned until July 28 after the preparation of psychiatric reports, and Petts will remain in the mental health facility.