STUART HAZELL, THE partner of 12-year-old Tia Sharp’s grandmother will appear in court today via video link charged with the schoolgirl’s murder.

He was arrested on Friday after a body was removed from the house he shared with 46-year-old Christine Sharp in Croydon London. Hazell was charged with Tia’s murder at the weekend, while Christine Sharp was released on bail after being questioned by police.

Her neighbour Paul Meehan was also released on bail.

Tia was last seen alive on Friday 3 August, when Hazell said she left her grandmother’s house to buy a pair of flip flops. Her body was found last Friday. Police apologised for the delay in finding her, after the scene was visited by officers a number of times.

In an interview with Croydon Today Tia’s father Steven Carter said that his daughter’s body as probably only a short distance away from him when he arrived in New Addington to help with the search last weekend. He said he was not allowed into Christine Sharp’s house.

A post mortem is continuing on Tia’s body, which has not been formally identified. However the BBC reports that she is named in the murder charge.