A verdict is awaited in the trial of a takeaway boss accused of killing a schoolgirl and joking that she had "gone into the kebabs".

Iyad Albattikhi, 30, is accused of having sex with 14-year-old Charlene Downes before strangling her and having her "chopped up" and disposed of.

The Jordanian immigrant denies murder. His business partner and landlord, Mohammed Reveshi, 50, originally from Iran, denies helping to dispose of the body.

On Monday, the jury was asked if it could reach a majority verdict in the case after failing to reach a unanimous verdict after five days of deliberation.

The Blackpool teenager spent her time hanging around shops on the famous promenade and was last seen on the early evening of November 1, 2003.

Preston Crown Court heard there has been no trace of Charlene's body.