THE grieving family of a man found dying in a country lane say they were banned from his funeral by the wife accused of his murder.

Council electrician George Button was cremated in a low-key service organised by the family of his wife, who is accused of his murder.

Christina Button, 31, who along with her nephew, Simon Tannahill, 20, are jointly accused of killing 53-year-old Mr Button, near the couple's home in St Mary's Drive, West Rainton, County Durham.

Mrs Button, who is bailed to an address in Lancashire pending the trial, was granted a variation of her bail conditions to attend the service at Sunderland Crematorium on Friday.

Mr Button's close-knit family, including his brother Fred and 72-year-old sister Olga Twigg, yesterday said they were asked to stay away from the service.

They said that when they turned up, they and dozens of Mr Button's neighbours had their way barred.

Fred, a manufacturing engineer, said: "Her (Christina Button's) sister and auntie told me the cremation was on Friday and said that if George's nieces turned up at the crematorium, they would be asked to leave.

"They then said it was for close, immediate family only. They tried to bar us. The only one they wanted there was me."

He said he was told that contact with the women would breach Christina Button's bail conditions.

Fred, 57, from East Rainton, County Durham, said: "The police disagreed with that.

"We felt it was important to pay our final respects. I told her that we would be there."

Mr Button was found in a pool of blood in Mark's Lane, West Rainton, on March 3. He died in Newcastle General Hospital two days later.

Fred added: "The funeral was very tense. I took my sister by the arm, walked with her to the door and she was told that she was not welcome. We walked past and I turned around to George's friends and family and told them to follow us in.

Another mourner said: "We went to pay our last respects, and to be told on the steps of the crematorium that we were not welcome hurt."

Mrs Button and her nephew were arrested 11 days after her husband's death and both were charged with his murder.

A trial is expected to take place at Newcastle Crown Court in November.