A TRIAL of a man accused of murdering a Hampshire great-grandmother is set to begin this morning at Winchester Crown Court.

Jobless Jamie Lee Boult, 24, from Chessel Crescent in Southampton, is accused of killing pensioner Delia Hughes, 85, who was found dead at her home in Ocean Village in August of last year.

He was charged just under a month after the alleged murder by detectives from the Hampshire Major Investigation Team.

Delia's body was discovered on August 18 by relatives who had visited her ground floor flat in Atlantic Close after failing to make contact with her.

A post-mortem revealed she had suffered several blunt force blows to the head.

More than 60 officers began conducting searches and house-to-house inquiries as part of the investigation got under way.

Delia, a great-grandmother, was said to well-presented and much-loved by those who knew her in the community.

She was originally from Blackpool in Lancashire but had lived in Southampton for the past 17 years.

Before she retired, she had worked as a supervisor for Littlewoods.

Come back for live coverage of the trial from inside Winchester Crown Court as soon as it gets underway.