Deividas Skebas appears in court charged with murder of Lilia Valutyte in Boston

• ITV News reporter Sangita Lal reports live from Boston

A man has appeared in court to face a charge of murdering nine-year-old Lilia Valutyte.

Lilia was found stabbed in Fountain Lane, Boston, Lincolnshire, on Thursday, 28 July.

Deividas Skebas, 22, of Thorold Street, Boston, appeared at Lincoln Crown Court for a second hearing of the day having earlier appeared at the city's magistrates’ court on Monday.

Wearing a prison-issued grey tracksuit, he spoke only to confirm his name and was told a provisional trial date would be set at the next court hearing. He was not asked to enter a plea.

Remanding Skebas into custody, Judge Simon Hirst told the defendant: "You will be next before the court on 19 September.

"I hope on that date I can give you a trial date, that is to say a date when your trial can take place.

"In the meantime you are remanded into custody."

Earlier, when appearing at the magistrates' court, he was told by District Judge Peter Deits "the offence you are facing is the most serious offence anyone can face in court".

Skebas, a Lithuanian national, was detained after four CCTV images were released of a man detectives said they wanted to find.

The CCTV showed a man in the Wormgate and Fountain Lane area of Boston at 6.15pm on Thursday, five minutes before Lilia was found dead.

Police also said two people who were arrested earlier this week have now been released with no further action.

Lilia had reportedly been playing with her younger sister on the street just yards from an office where their mother was working at the time.

The girls had a hula-hoop, and a toy pram was left at the scene, according to local people.