A Bradford mother has pleaded not guilty to killing her four-year-old son.

Amanda Hutton, 42, yesterday appeared in the dock at Bradford Crown Court alongside her son, Tariq Khan, 24.

They were arrested in connection with the discovery of the remains of Hamza Khan at a house in Crofton Road, Heaton, in September 2011.

Hamza’s decomposed body was found in a cot in the upstairs bedroom of the mid-terraced property. It is thought he could have been dead for nearly two years.

Hutton, now of Farcliffe Road, Girlington, Bradford, is accused of unlawfully killing Hamza, between December 1 and December 16, 2009, and preventing the lawful and decent burial of a dead body, along with Khan, between December 14, 2009 and September 22, 2011.

She pleaded not guilty to both charges when they were put to her at the Crown Court yesterday.

Khan, of Ashburnham Grove, Manningham, Bradford, also pleaded not guilty to the charge of preventing the burial of a body.

Hutton also denied a number of other charges that were put to her, including one of benefit fraud.

The trial, due to start on September 16, is expected to last up to four weeks.

Both defendants were given conditional bail by the Recorder of Bradford, Judge Roger Thomas QC, and told to appear again at Bradford Crown Court on July 25 for a further case management hearing.