The man accused of murdering missing five-year-old April Jones is expected to say he was probably responsible for her death, but did not murder her a court had been told.

Mark Bridger who was born in Sutton, denied charges of murder, abduction and perverting the course of justice when he appeared at Mold Crown Court this morning.

The 47-year-old who grew up in Croydon and attended John Ruskin and Shirley High School, will stand trial on February 25 with the case expected to take four weeks.

The judge, Mr Justice John-Griffith-Williams, ordered that none of the evidence mentioned in court could be publicly reported, but said a statement by defence barrister Brendan Kelly QC, saying that Mr Bridger was not guilty of murder but accepted he was probably responsible for her death, could be reported.

Dyfed-Powys Police still have 16 teams involved in the search for April, who went missing while playing on her bike outside the family home in Machynlleth, Powys, on October 1.

Her disappearance has sparked one of the largest police searches in UK history.