A man killed his 12-year-old son by strangling him with his bare hands and a shoelace, a court heard.

Henry Anthony Bangs killed his son Anthony, of Brighton, in revenge at his ex-wife's plan to divorce him, a jury was told.

Bangs, 49, pleaded not guilty on the first day of his trial yesterday.

The jury of nine men and three women were told that young Anthony, known to the family as Tony, was found dead at Bangs's home in Enfield Road, Blackpool, on the morning of December 28.

The cause of death was said to be "compression of the neck". Opening the case for the prosecution, Anthony Morris said Bangs had killed his sonwith his hands and a shoelace. He said the motive was revenge against his ex-wife, Christine Riley, who was divorcing him.

Bangs allegedly said in a phone call: "If I can't have you, you can't have Tony".

Tony was staying with the defendant over Christmas and was due to return to his mother's Brighton home on December 28.

Bangs had to be taken from the courtroom during the prosecution's opening because of repeated interruptions from the dock.

The case continues.