The mother of the teenager who murdered schoolboy Rhys Jones faces jail after she admitted on Monday that she had lied to police during their investigation.

Janette Mercer, 49, pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice after she changed her plea during an appearance at Liverpool Crown Court, the Press Association reported.

Mercer, from Croxteth in Liverpool, had denied lying about what happened to her son's mountain bike after the shooting of 11-year-old Rhys in August 2007.

The case was adjourned until April 1 for reports and judge Henry Globe said she faced jail.

"I have agreed to a pre-sentencing report being prepared but I cannot envisage passing anything other than an immediate custodial sentence," he said.

Her son Sean Mercer, now 18, was jailed for life in December for killing the schoolboy who died after being shot in the neck as he walked home from football practice across a Liverpool pub car park.

The teenager, a member of the Crocky Crew gang, had been aiming at members of a rival group, Norris Green's Strand Gang.

After the shooting, Sean Mercer cycled to the home of a 16-year-old boy where he hatched a cover-up plot with the help of six other Crocky Crew members to get rid of his clothing, bike and gun.

The six other gang members have all been found guilty of helping the killer try to escape justice.