A man has appeared before magistrates accused of the murder of Lee Clement, whose body was dug up in Partridge Wood near Brabourne.

Shocked villagers saw scores of Metropolitan Police officers descend on Kingsmill Down near the village at about 4.30pm on Friday March 11.

Digging into the fields of the quiet countryside, forensic officers found the body of a man who was identified as 60-year-old Lee Clement of no fixed abode. He had not been seen for the last six years.

It is believed his remains went undetected for several years. A post-mortem held on March 12 at Greenwich mortuary could not determine a cause of death.

Police arrested unemployed 30-year-old Thomas Puxty, of no fixed address, on suspicion of murder on March 8. He appeared before Greenwich Magistrates Court on Monday.