Nicola Payne trial: Murder accused Nigel Barwell seen cleaning car

A man accused of murdering a teenage mother in 1991 was seen "thoroughly" cleaning his car the day she disappeared, a court has heard.

Nicola Payne went missing in Coventry on 14 December more than 23 years ago. Her body has never been found.

Nigel Barwell and Thomas O'Reilly, both 51, both from Coventry deny her murder.

Joy Edginton, a neighbour of Mr Barwell's, said she saw him cleaning his car that day and the following day, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

She said she had not seen him clean it like that before, as he took out the seat covers and rugs.

The day before Ms Payne disappeared, she said she saw the defendant remove a baby seat from the back of his car.

Another witness, Keith Parkins, told the court he was moving house on the day Ms Payne disappeared and he heard a "raised female voice" outside.

He said it sounded like someone remonstrating with someone else. He went outside to his front garden to investigate but saw no-one.

The court was told that Mr Parkins also heard the sound of a car with a distinctive-sounding exhaust drive by his house on that day.

After he heard the woman's voice, he said he saw a coupe-style car with the same sound drive the other way.

The trial has been told that Mr Barwell, of Copperas Street, owned a distinctive blue 1980 Ford Capri at the time of Ms Payne's disappearance.

Ms Payne, who had a seven-month-old son, Owen, with her boyfriend, disappeared when she walked across a patch of land, known as the Black Pad, to her parents' house.

The trial continues.