THE men accused of killing of a Chinese national who was found dumped in a canal near Selby have appeared before York Magistrates Court.

Bao Lung Huang, from Fujian, in China, 44, and Zhouli Zhang, 49, from Dong Bei, in China, have been charged with the murder of 38-year-old Cai Guan Chen.

The body of Mr Chen was found in a canal near Selby, on March 20.

He died from serious head injuries and it is believed his body may have been in the water for several weeks before he was found by an off-duty police officer who was fishing at Burn Bridge, between the villages of Brayton and Burn.

During the preliminary hearing, the men, both dressed in grey sweatshirts with dark cropped hair, used interpreters and spoke only to acknowledge their name and that they understood the charge.

Huang’s defence solicitor, Mark Thompson, and Zhang’s solicitor, Chris McGrogan, did not apply for bail.

The pair were remanded in custody until December 30 when they will appear before Leeds Crown Court.

Police also charged a further two men yesterday with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Wang Shaozhe, 23, from Dong Bei, and Chen Xia Hua, 27, from Fujian, are set to appear before York Magistrates’ Court today.

Detectives investigating Mr Chen’s murder are asking for anyone who knew him, or has information about his death, to phone them on 0845 6060247 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.