A MAN is due to appear in court to face a murder charge following a fatal stabbing in Silsden on Friday.

Alistair Throup, 47, of Oakland Street in the town, is due to appear at Bradford Magistrates Court today.

Officers were called to a disturbance at an address in Oakland Street, where a man had been found with serious injuries.

He was pronounced dead at the scene and police have confirmed his name as Philip Slater, aged 73.

He remains in police custody.

The community has already spoken of its shock following the incident.

District ward councillor, Andrew Mallinson, said: "What's happened is, of course, extremely distressing for the family concerned and my thoughts go out to them."

Fellow ward councillor and Silsden Town Council member, Adrian Naylor, said: "Like the rest of Silsden will be, I'm shocked at the events.

"My thoughts are with the family of the victim at this time."

Town councillor Keith Savage, who lives in nearby Aire View, said he couldn't believe what had happened.

"Silsden is such a friendly place and you just don't expect anything like this on your doorstep – it's a tragedy," he added.

Martin Twigg, who runs Twiggs newsagents and the post office in Kirkgate, said: "It is a shock and a lot of people coming into the shop have been talking about it."