The trial date for two men accused of murdering a third man in North Yorkshire has been set.

Jason Mark Johnson, 26, and Philip John Watson, 34, both of no fixed address, had been due to attend Leeds Crown Court via a video link.

York magistrates had remanded them in custody on Thursday, October 3, to Hull Prison.

But because of an administrative mix-up between the court and the prison services, prison guards did not take the two defendants to the video link suite at Hull Prison and therefore they did not attend court.

In their absence, Judge Andrew Stubbs KC set a trial date of March 27.

He ordered that their plea and trial preparation hearing be on November 1 when they will be asked to enter their plea.

They are charged with murdering 56-year-old Paul Tillet in Harrogate last weekend.

The judge also ordered that the two defendants appear before Leeds Crown Court on Monday.

The law states that defendants charged with murder have to appear before a crown court judge as soon as practically possible because York magistrates cannot grant bail in murder cases, but crown court judges can.