Two women, a man and a 15-year-old girl – were charged yesterday following an investigation by officers involved in a murder inquiry after Mr Bebbington died in hospital on September 7.

Two men have previously appeared in court charged with murder. One has admitted the offence and the case has been adjourned to a future date.

A West Mercia Police spokesperson said today: “Following inquiries, four people have been charged with perverting the course of justice.

“Two women aged 47 and 24, a 27-year-old man and a girl aged 15 have been given police bail with conditions to appear before Shrewsbury magistrates in January.”

All four are jointly charged that between September 7 and October 10, they committed a series of acts which had a tendency to pervert the course of justice in that they gave a false account to the police and concealed evidence of the commission of a crime, namely the murder of Benson Bebbington.

Mr Bebbington, of Beaufort Green, Harlescott, was discovered unconscious with serious head injuries on the old canal footpath between Ditherington Road and Telford Way, Shrewsbury, just before 1am on September 7.

He was taken to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital but died later that morning.