Two doormen today denied murdering a Shropshire father-of-two following a disturbance at a Shrewsbury nightclub.

Neil Stokes, 22, of Spring Gardens, Shrewsbury, and Daryl Brown, 32, of Severn Drive, Wellington, both denied murdering Darren Griffiths when they appeared at Stafford Crown Court.

Mr Griffiths, 41, of Harmer Hill, died at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital on June 29 this year after a disturbance at the Liquid and Diva nightclub in Raven Meadows.

Stokes, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers, and Brown, dressed in a black suit with a purple shirt and tie, spoke only to confirm their names and enter their not guilty pleas when they appeared before judge Simon Tonking for the brief hearing today.

The pair, flanked by three security officers, were remanded in custody by the judge, who adjourned the case for trial at Birmingham Crown Court on April 14 next year.

Mr Griffiths’s funeral was held at St John the Baptist Church, Ruyton-XI-Towns, in September.

More than 2,600 people have joined a group on social networking site Facebook, created in his memory.

Glyn Jones, chairman of Shrewsbury Rugby Club, for which Mr Griffiths played as a prop, also paid tribute to him. He described Mr Griffiths as a “well-respected and well-liked member of the team”.

The family of Mr Griffiths, who was married to Amanda and had two young daughters – Charlotte and Ellen – passed donations from his funeral to the charity Help for Heroes.

Mr Griffiths had completed 12 years in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers and later worked as an engineer for Shrewsbury’s Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside shopping centres.

Liquid and Diva was closed for almost a month following the disturbance and was partially reopened on July 24, although the Liquid section remained shut. A review of its licence was called for by police licensing officer Tony Mantle.

The club was given the go-ahead to reopen in August, but bosses were told door staff would have to wear special headcams. It was also required to extend its CCTV cover and cut its opening hours.

By Andrew Morris and Russell Roberts