THE new owners of the house where Kathryn Linaker was murdered called in a vicar to bless the property, they have revealed.

But the couple, who do not want to be named, had no qualms about moving into the luxury detached home in Tannery Lane, Penketh, despite its disturbing past.

"The vicar told us not to move in until we had the house blessed," they said. "It was a moving little service. No matter what religion you are, somebody somewhere is looking over us, so we felt it would be appropriate. There are no presences here, it's all in the past."

During the trial, the owners say they were driven out of their own home by weeks of attention from the national media. "At the height of the coverage we went away for three days. Reporters and photographers were constantly parked outside the house. They bothered our neighbours and we even had people peering through the windows with binoculars. At one point we had to call the police to have them moved on.

"We're looking forward to some peace and quiet now. People will carry on slowing their cars and looking in as they pass, but we just draw the curtains."

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