School caretaker Ian Huntley was last night in a secure hospital charged with murdering ten-year-olds Holly Wells and Jessica Chapman.

His girlfriend, Maxine Carr, 25, a former teaching assistant in the Cambridgeshire girls' class, was last night charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

She was remanded in custody until her appearance at Peterborough Magistrates Court today.

Huntley, 28, was detained under the 1983 Mental Health Act in the early hours of yesterday morning after undergoing a series of medical examinations since his arrest on Saturday.

His case is also listed to be heard at Peterborough Magistrates Court this morning, but it is not known whether he will appear in person.

He was transferred at 2am from his police cell to Rampton Hospital in Nottinghamshire on the advice of a psychiatrist concerned at his fitness to be interviewed over the murder of the girls.

The girls' parents in Soham, Cambridgeshire, were informed in advance of the decision to charge Huntley.

They are still waiting to hear how their daughters died after post mortem examinations proved inconclusive.

The bodies of the best friends were found by walkers at a Suffolk beauty spot on Saturday, almost two weeks after they vanished wearing identical Manchester United football shirts.

Huntley was charged at about 5pm by two Cambridgeshire detectives who drove to Rampton.

Doctors must decide if he is physically fit to attend the court.

Psychiatrists have up to 28 days to assess Huntley but can apply for further extensions up to six months or more.

A spokesman for Rampton hospital said its patient would remain "for an undetermined stay".

The doctors will assess whether Huntley is fit to stand trial or enter a plea.

It is still possible that a patient deemed to need mental health care could stand trial for murder, said a spokesman for Cambridgeshire police.

The decision to charge Huntley followed "lengthy discussions" with the Crown Prosecution Service, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Hebb told a news conference in Huntingdon.

Last night's developments came after a day in which floral tributes continued to pour into the girls' home town, where they were transforming St Andrews Church yard into a sea of bouquets.

Meanwhile, 14,000 messages of condolence had been received from all over the world within 24 hours of a special website, Soham Tragedy, being set up.

Celia Minnett, in charge of the council-run website, said the volume of messages was constant day and night as different countries around the world logged on.

Children and parents struggling to cope with the emotional anguish have been receiving counselling from Cambridgeshire social workers using special helplines.

And at Ely Cathedral, vice-dean Canon John Inge, said: "Our heartfelt prayers are with Jessica and Holly as we commend them to God.

"We pray that a glimmer of hope might be with those who have been most closely involved in this terrible tragedy and all who come to the cathedral in its aftermath."

Police are still searching the site where the bodies were found, along with the home of Huntley and Carr, and the primary and secondary schools where he worked.

Teams have also scoured the home of Huntley's parents, Kevin and Lynda, in the village of Littleport. Mr and Mrs Huntley were not at the house, where officers have already seized items.