A woman accused with her nephew of killing her husband was present at his funeral yesterday.

Christina Button, 31, who is expected to stand trial for the murder of husband George later this year, was among the mourners at the funeral service at Sunderland Crematorium.

The atmosphere was described as tense during the short service in the packed chapel, which ended with the cremation.

Mrs Button, who is bailed to an address in the West Midlands pending the trial, was granted a variation of her bail conditions to be allowed to attend the service.

Her husband, a 53-year-old Sunderland council electrician, was found lying with serious head injuries in St Mark's Lane, West Rainton, near Durham, one evening in March.

He had earlier left the family home in St Mary's Way in the village to take pet border collie Laddie for his evening walk.

Mr Button failed to regain consciousness and died two days later in Newcastle General Hospital.

Police described the death as a mystery and staged a reconstruction of Mr Button's last moments to try to get a breakthrough in the case.

Eleven days after he suffered the injuries, police arrested Mrs Button and nephew Simon Tannahill, 20, who was staying with the couple at the time, and they were charged with murder.

Mr Tannahill remains in custody, pending the next scheduled hearing at Newcastle Crown Court, in August.

A trial is not expected to take place until October or November, also at Newcastle Crown Court.