THREE men have pleaded not guilty to murdering businessman Guy Hedger.

Mr Hedger, who was 61, died of gunshot wounds inflicted at his home in Castlewood near St Ives in the early hours of Sunday, April 30.

Kevin Downton, 40, of Winterborne Stickland, Jason Baccus, 41, of Bournemouth, and Scott Keeping, 44, also from Bournemouth, appeared at Winchester Crown Court on Friday.

Helen Cooper, 40, of Poole, also appeared and denies two charges of assisting an offender.

This week police said they recovered parts of a sawn-off shotgun in the River Stour near to Canford Parish Church.