Fourteen suspects accused of involvement in a fatal stabbing at Westfield Stratford City next door to the Olympic Park appeared at the Old Bailey.

Liam Woodards, 24, was knifed to death during a fight just weeks before the 2012 Games on June 29.

He was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics after he was involved in a clash in The Street area of the centre at around 4.25pm.

A postmortem gave the cause of death as a stab wound.

Nii-Azu Kojo-Smith, 18, of Hackney, is accused of murder while the remaining 13 suspects face charges of violent disorder.

A murder charge against Riaz Anderson, 19, from Walthamstow, has been dropped.

Kojo-Smith and Anderson appeared via videolink along with Emmaneul Oloyede, 19, of Tilbury, Essex, Michael Ndefo, 22, of Raymond Road, Plaistow, and a 17-year-old from Plaistow for a brief hearing, while Danny Caton, 24, of Paul,Street, Stratford, stood in the dock.

They spoke only to confirm their names.

They, along with the other eight defendants, will appear for a further hearing on December 19.

The suspects will go before the court in two separate trials, the first of which will include Kojo-Smith and is due to begin on February 25 next year.

Also charged is Tony Caton, 21, of Paul Street, Stratford, Michael Alvaranga, 24, of Leytonstone, Javin Rigabie, 23, of Chobham Road, Stratford, Travis Townsend, 20, of Hither Green, south-east London; Jerome McLeish, 20, of New Addington, south London; Tristan Mullings, 20, of Holloway, north London; Rhys Regisford, 20, of Hyde Close, Plaistow, and Jason Vaughan, 24, of Govier Close, West Ham.

All have yet to enter pleas.