A man whose body was found buried in the back garden of a Northampton house during a murder inquiry has been identified in court as Nicholas Billingham.

Fiona Beal, 48, appeared in front of two magistrates on Monday accused of killing Mr Billingham between October 30 and November 10 last year.

The defendant spoke only to confirm her age and to give her address as a house on Moore Street in Kingsley where the body was found.

Beal was arrested at a hotel in Cumbria shortly after midnight on Wednesday – the same day Northamptonshire Police began conducting an extensive search of her home.

Forensic officers and specialist search teams, including a cadaver dog, were deployed to the address before the discovery was made on Saturday.

Police said the remains were expected be taken to Leicester to be forensically examined by a Home Office pathologist.

The force described the remains as someone they believed to be a 42-year-old missing man.

Beal was accompanied by a lone female dock officer during a hearing at Northampton Magistrates’ Court, which lasted just two minutes.

The defendant was told she was not entitled to apply for bail at the magistrates’ court and was ordered to appear at the town’s crown court on Tuesday.

Beal, who was wearing a grey round-necked sweatshirt, was remanded into custody.