A woman has appeared in court charged with murder after a man's body was found in a flat.

Allison Tomlin was charged by Kent Police on Saturday after the body of 69-year-old John Birney was discovered in Rocky Hill Terrace, Maidstone.

The 48-year-old, of no fixed address, appeared by video link at Medway Magistrates' Court this morning.

No further details were given about the case, but magistrates ordered her to answer the charges at Maidstone's Crown Court on Wednesday, June 17, at 9.30am.

Officers were called to the building at Rocky Hill Terrace at around 3pm last Monday.

An inquest into Mr Birney's death was opened and adjourned this morning.

The court heard he had last been spoken to by the house manager on Monday, June 1, and his body was discovered on Monday, June 8.

He was identified by his DNA and the results of a post mortem have not been revealed. Further tests are ongoing to establish the cause of death.

A 25-year-old-man and a 31-year-old woman from Maidstone, also arrested in connection with the death have been bailed, pending further inquiries, until August 6.