A MAN charged with murdering a woman at a flat in Bexhill has pleaded not guilty.

Ian Paton, 36, a sales representative, of Snowdrop Rise, St Leonards, appeared at Hove Crown Court on Thursday charged with the murder of Kayleigh Hanks, 29, of London Road, Bexhill.

Paton entered a plea of not guilty, according to Hove Crown Court.

A provisional trial date was set for January 20, 2020.

He was remanded in custody.

A police spokesman said a postmortem carried out on Monday found the cause of death to be strangulation.

Officers from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team are asking anyone who has information that could assist their investigation to contact them online or by calling 101, quoting Operation Elwood.