The house had been stripped bare of its furnishings and contents by police officers before his arrival.

He agreed with Solicitor General Frank Mulholland QC that he understood the occupiers at the time had been put up in a hotel before officers began their search.

A sequence of photographs showed each room of the four- bedroom house from several angles.

In all the rooms the walls were bare and floorcoverings had been removed.

The sequence then moved to a hatch to the loft.

Mr Fairley said he returned the following day and directed the jury’s attention to images showing three bell jars between the last joist and the wall of the house below the roof.

Behind these jars, in a recess area behind a piece of wood, lay the knife.

A further sequence of photographs was taken showing the knife after it had been taken to the forensic laboratory in Edinburgh.

The round handled knife, about 11 inches long, had a straight double-sided blade with a horizontal guard between the handle and blade.

The photographer agreed with the Solicitor General that he could make out the words “”Sheffield England” on one side of the base of the blade and there was writing on the other side but he could not make that out.

Jurors were then shown a sequence taken in St Andrew’s Square, Edinburgh, showing a temporary building in one corner of the square.

When it was removed, photographs had been taken of debris beneath it including paper, coins and a key.

The next series of photographs were of Vicky Hamilton’s purse, which had been lodged with the lost property office at Police Headquarters in Edinburgh on February 23, 1991.

It contained a piece of paper giving an address in London, a letter signed by Vicky, a leaflet about oral contraception and an appointment card for Vicky at Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary.

The letter inquired after the health of someone who had visited recently, hoped they had a safe journey home and talked about mutual acquaintances and other things.

Continuing to describe the contents of Vicky Hamilton’s purse, Mr Fairley also identified from photographs an identity card in her name and a photograph of a male in some sort of uniform.

There was also a star sign card for Taurus with “Vicky Hamilton OK” written on it.

There was a money-off voucher for cigarettes, pieces of paper with names and phone numbers.

In addition, there was a piece of paper with a note addressed to Mrs Paterson.

This read, “Will it be OK for Vicky to miss period four and perhaps five as she has an appointment at the dentist. Yours faithfully, J. Hamilton.”

There was a card which said, “If music be the food of love”.

Another card said, “Kisses are good for you, especially mine”.

There was also a piece of paper with the word Samaritans and possibly the phone number written alongside it.

Also found in the purse was an Eastern Scottish bus ticket, dated 10/2/91, with the time 16.59.

There were also receipts from shops and a newspaper cutting of horoscopes.

The trial continues.

Peter Tobin denies that on February 10, 1991, at a number of locations in Bathgate, he abducted, compelled or otherwise induced Vicky Hamilton, to accompany him to his home in Bathgate and there, or elsewhere in Scotland, assaulted her, drugged her, struggled with her, compressed or otherwise injured her neck, indecently assaulted her and murdered her.

He also denies that between February 10, 1991 and December 15 the same year, at his home in Bathgate, at St Andrew’s Square in Edinburgh, at an address in Margate and elsewhere in the UK he attempted to defeat the ends of justice.

That charge alleges he concealed Vicky’s body; removed and disposed of items of clothing and footwear and other of her belongings; that, knowing a missing person enquiry was underway he deposited a purse belonging to Vicky under a portable building with intent to mislead police into believing she had run away from home, bisected her body with knives and similar instruments and bound and wrapped her body in coverings and bin bags; disposed of and concealed the knives; and that he concealed, transported and buried her body parts.

Tobin has lodged a special defence of alibi that between 5pm and midnight on February 10, when the crime was committed, he was in the Portsmouth area and then travelling from Southern England to Scotland and did not return to Edinburgh before 6.30am on February 11.

The trial is being heard before Judge Lord Emslie and a jury. Solicitor General Frank Mulholland QC is leading the Crown case and Defence Counsel is Donald Findlay QC.