Murdered UK girls: man faces court

Court security has been a feature for Huntley and Carr's court appearances

PETERBOROUGH, England -- Tight security is set to be in place when school caretaker Ian Huntley makes his first court appearance in Britain on charges of murdering two 10-year-old girls.

Cambridgeshire police have asked people to stay away on Tuesday in an attempt to avoid the ugly mob-like scenes witnessed when his fiancee Maxine Carr appeared in court last month.

Huntley, 28, will be taken for the short hearing at Peterborough Magistrates by van from the high security Rampton hospital in central England, where he has been held since being charged on August 20 with the abduction and murder of Soham schoolgirls Jessica Chapman and Holly Wells.

"We are asking people to stay away," a police spokeswoman told Reuters. "It will serve no purpose to be there."

Huntley was employed as caretaker at Soham Village College in Cambridgeshire, southeast England.

The two girls disappeared on August 4 and their bodies discovered about two weeks later close to a track near Wangford, in nearby Suffolk.

The killings shocked the country and united many in an outpouring of grief.

Huntley has been held under the provisions of mental health legislation and has undergone tests to see if he is fit to face trial.

He is being held under a 28-day period following an application under Section 2 of the Mental Health Act 1983 to "undergo further assessment."

If, at the end of the 28-day period, doctors feel that a longer period of assessment is required, a further order, under Section 3, can be made allowing the person to be held for up to six months.

His court appearance this week will not consider his mental capacity to face trial, but will be a judicial proceeding to see if the case should be referred to crown court.

The bodies of Holly and Jessica were found in a remote wooded spot 10 miles from their homes.

It is not clear whether Huntley is likely to enter a plea to the charges on Tuesday.

His girlfriend Carr, 25, a former teaching assistant in Holly and Jessica's class at St Andrew's primary school, has been charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

When Carr made her first appearance hundreds of protesters lined the streets hurling abuse and shouting.

"We do not want to see those scenes again," the police spokeswoman said. "We have a contingency plan and will be doing everything to prevent a repetition."

The violence prompted court officials to allow her to appear via a live prison video link to avoid any further disturbance.

Her next scheduled appearance is at Peterborough Crown Court on September 27.

She is currently being held on remand in Holloway prison, north London, although her lawyers say they are considering making an application for bail.

Some Soham pupils began returning to school on Monday, with others scheduled to go back a day later to allow support to be given to those who need it.