TWO men charged with the murder of a Sheppey man whose body has never been found were bailed to appear at Crown Court.

Lewis Scudder, 32, from Noreen Avenue, Minster, and Michael Kemp, 31, of Scrapsgate Road, Minster, are charged with murdering Paul Rowlands and with conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Scudder is also charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

They appeared at Sittingbourne magistrates court on Tuesday morning where they were granted conditional bail and ordered to attend Maidstone Crown Court on September 20 for a preliminary hearing.

The two men spoke only to confirm their names, dates of birth and addresses.

Mr Rowlands disappeared on September 2 last year after he was last seen in Cecil Road, Sheerness.

His sisters, two of whom were in court on Tuesday, organised a memorial service earlier this month to mark the anniversary of his disappearance.