Potential fresh evidence is to be examined that could clear teacher Sion Jenkins, jailed for murdering his teenage foster daughter.

Court of Appeal judges yesterday ordered an inquiry that defence lawyers believe could destabilise his conviction.

Jenkins is serving life for bludgeoning 13-year-old Billie-Jo Jenkins to death at the family home in Lower Park Road, Hastings, in 1997.

The former deputy headteacher was found guilty at Lewes Crown Court of murdering her with an 18in metal tent spike after she messed up painting the patio doors.

Appeal Court judges heard that a mentally-ill man known to have been near where Billie-Jo was killed had a fixation with pushing pieces of plastic bag up his nose.

A pathologist had found that Billie-Jo, a pupil at all-girls Helenswood School in St Leonards, had part of a black bin liner stuffed deeply into one of her nostrils.

Judges asked the Criminal Cases Review Commission to inquire whether the man exhibited unusual behaviour with plastic bags or other plastic objects.

At a preliminary hearing, Clare Montgomery QC, for Jenkins, told Lord Justice Kay, Mr Justice Bodey and Judge Tilling the plastic found in her nose was "a singular and striking feature of the murder".

It did not fit with the prosecution's case that Jenkins, an ex-Tory borough council hopeful, killed Billie-Jo in a fit of rage in a narrow time-span.

Opposing the fresh inquiry move, Crown counsel Richard Camden Pratt QC said the only evidence against the mentally-ill man was that he had been seen in the area.

But Lord Justice Kay said the court could not brush aside the possibility there might be other evidence.

At the full appeal hearing, to be held not before July 1, the court will hear why Jenkins' two daughters were not called to give evidence plus submissions about blood found on Jenkins after Billie-Jo's death.