Lindsay Birbeck: Teenage boy charged over teaching assistant’s murder

Mother-of-two found strangled to death in cemetery

The teaching assistant was 47. (PA)

A teenage boy has been charged with the murder of Lindsay Birbeck.

The 16-year-old suspect is from Accrington and cannot be named for legal reasons.

He is expected to appear at Blackburn Magistrates’ Court on Monday morning.

Ms Birbeck, a teaching assistant, went missing from her home on 12 August.

The 47-year-old’s body was found in Accrington Cemetery on 24 August.

A postmortem examination found that she had been strangled to death, according.

Police officers had earlier released CCTV footage of a person they wanted to speak to.

Ms Birbeck’s family have been informed of the development.

“Our thoughts remain with Lindsay‘s family and friends,” a Lancashire Police spokesperson said.

The mother-of-two’s children, Steven, 19 and Sarah, 16, paid tribute to Ms Birbeck on Thursday.

”It saddens us deeply that someone has cruelly taken our mum away from us and now she will never see us get married, have children and set up homes of our own, which she would have loved,” they said in a statement.

“Our mum was very loved by all that met her including all of the pupils that she has taught over the years. We have not only lost our mum but we’ve lost our best friend too.”

Kate Marney, headteacher at Ightenhill Primary School in Burnley, said Ms Birbeck was a highly valued and respected member of staff who was popular with both pupils and colleagues.

“We will miss her enormously at school. All our thoughts are with her family at this very sad time,” she said.

Additional reporting by Press Association