FIVE young men have appeared before a crown court judge charged with the murder of Huddersfield shopkeeper Gurmail Singh.

They are all accused of the murder and robbery of Mr Singh at Cowcliffe Convenience Store on February 20 this year.

At Leeds Crown Court yesterday Judge James Goss, QC, remanded all five in custody to appear for trial at the court on September 1.

They are Umare Aslam, 20, of Coniston Avenue, Dalton; Muawaz Khalid, 20, of Blackmoorfoot Road, Crosland Moor; Shoaib Khan, 18, of Calton Street, Hillhouse; Nabeel Shafi, 18, of Park Hill, Bradley; and Rehman Afzal, 18, of Jacinth Court, Fartown.

The trial is expected to last six weeks.

The shop was re-opened by Mr Singh’s family last Tuesday in his memory.

The attack happened the day after Mr Singh’s 63rd birthday.

He had run the shop for six years and saw it as a vital part of the community.

He had lived in the UK since 1963.

The shop is now open seven days a week.