Fibres found on Sarah Payne's shoe linked defendant Roy Whiting to her kidnap and murder, a jury has heard.

They matched those on a sweatshirt found in Whiting's van, according to Timothy Langdale QC, prosecuting.

He made the claim at Whiting's trial at Lewes Crown Court for the kidnap and murder of the eight-year-old in July 2000.

Whiting, 42, formerly of St Augustine Road, Littlehampton, denies both charges.

Mr Langdale said the forensic evidence pointed conclusively to the defendant's guilt.

He said: "The shoe that was found at Coolham, which was identified by Sarah's mother as Sarah's, had a Velcro strap on it.

"On the Velcro strap, when it was examined by scientist Ray Chapman, were found four fibres which matched the red sweatshirt, DNA which matched Mr Whiting's DNA profile."

Mr Langdale told the court that Whiting had close knowledge of both the area where Sarah was last seen alive and the place where her body was found two weeks later.

He worked at an address in Golden Avenue in July 1999, close to Sarah's grandparents' house in Peak Lane, Kingston Gorse, East Preston, according to former boss Douglas Wawman.

Sarah disappeared from a field near her grandparents' home. Her body was found on July 17 2000 in a field by the A29 near Pulborough.

Mr Wawman later told police Whiting would sometimes walk his son's dog in the area and spoke about visiting a particular field.

Mr Wawman's son Brian also spoke about how Whiting wore a quilted blue, red and green lumberjack shirt when he worked.

The court heard that Whiting stopped working for Mr Wawman on June 17 last year, two weeks before Sarah's disappearance.

Mr Langdale added: "Mr Wawman described him as a loner with few or no friends. He did not socialise with Whiting and did not know much about him."

He said Whiting also had an intimate knowledge of the burial site area, knowing main roads as well as country lanes.

He said the court would hear from Mark Woods, who had given Whiting building work in the area.

Mr Langdale said Whiting had applied for a prospectus for the Brinsbury Agricultural College, near the site where Sarah's body was found.

He said the evidence pointing to Whiting being responsible for Sarah's death was building up.

He said: "He owned a white van, he lied about where he was on that Saturday night and about what he was doing on Sunday as there is evidence that he was out and about on that day, and he knew the area around the field from which Sarah disappeared."

Mr Langdale said another builder, Terence Heath, spoke to Whiting on July 2 and noticed that the back doors of his van had been changed.

The case continues.

November 15, 2001