Mark Bridger spotted with bin bag, April Jones jury is told

Mark Bridger was seen with a rolled up bin bag in his hand between Ceinws and Machynlleth on October 2, hours after she is said to have been snatched and murdered.

Bridger, 47, who denies murder, abduction and perverting the course of justice, also joined a search team randomly later that day and gave conflicting stories to other people involved in the search.

Carwen Sheen, from Machynlleth, was involved in the search for April on October 2, when she spotted Bridger twice that day, the first driving past her and later by the embankment near Ceinws.

She said: "I was driving down and came around the corner and saw Bridger's vehicle with the door open. I slowed down as I had a friend with me. She said 'what's he doing there' and I saw him coming down the bank with a black bin bag in his hand.

"I stopped the car and we spoke and then Mark drove past, that's the last I saw of him." She added: "It (the bag) was black and it was rolled up. It was wrapped up like a sausage. I would say there was something in it. Not very big, but there was something in it.

The jury also heard Bridger was seen by postman Huw Myrfyn Davies at about 9am on October 2. In written evidence read to the court, Mr Davies said: "I asked him if he had seen and heard about the news, to which he said he had. He appeared quite shocked. I believe he asked me what sort of vehicle they were looking for."

Evidence was also read from searcher Keiran Gregory, who told police Bridger had talked to his search team while they waited for police to check an item of clothing they had found, which turned out to not be anything of interest.

He said: "Mark said he had been searching for most of the night and I realised he had a headtorch in his pocket. Before leaving he wished us luck in our search, it wasn't until Sky News announced he had been arrested that I realised he had said some odd things.

"He had said he had been searching all night and then later said he had not found out until 9.30am the following morning."

He said Bridger had left the group but had wished them luck in their search before walking away.

Paul Jellett, another searcher, added: "Mark said he had no TV and didn't hear about it until 9.30am this morning. He went on saying: 'I recognise the girl but I cannot say what her name is. I think she is Coral and Paul's girl'. He said he had been searching in Ceinws all morning. I realised that when we spoke to him his clothing was very clean and didn't add up to him saying he had been searching all morning. "Everywhere was very muddy as it had been pouring with rain all night."

The trial continues.