THREE men have appeared in court charged with raiding the home of a woman who died earlier this year.

Adrian Raper, 28, of Thompson Street West, Gary Brown, 39, of Hargreave Terrace, and Lee Fox, 42, of Victoria Road, all of Darlington, did not enter any pleas when they appeared at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court on Monday charged with burglary.

The raid is alleged to have happened in the early hours of Saturday morning at a house in South Terrace, Darlington.

The property belongs to a woman who died earlier this year.

All three men were remanded in custody and will appear at Teesside Crown Court next month.

Mr Brown also pleaded guilty to an additional theft charge, while Mr Fox denied two extra charges of theft.

The theft charges will be dealt with at a video link hearing at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates’ Court next week.