The man accused of the abduction and murder of British schoolgirl Sarah Payne has appeared in court.
Mr Roy William Whiting stood in the dock of Lewes Crown Court and spoke only to confirm his name.
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Sarah Payne
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The 42-year-old builder and mechanic denies abducting and murdering Sarah, from Hersham, Surrey, on July 1st last year.
The girl disappeared while playing near her grandparents' home in Kingston Gorse, near Littlehampton, West Sussex, sparking one of the Britain's largest missing person investigations.
Her body was found on land at an agricultural college in Pulborough 17 days later.
The trial of Whiting, formerly of St Augustine's Road, Littlehampton, at Lewes Crown Court is expected to last six weeks. The opening of the case is being delayed by legal argument.
Sarah's parents, Michael and Sara Payne, arrived at court at about 9.25 a.m. and posed briefly for waiting photographers on the steps of the courthouse before going inside.
About 20 police officers patrolled the streets outside the court, keeping back reporters who were waiting for the arrival of the family.
PA