A white van was seen speeding away through a country lane minutes after Sarah Payne was snatched from a cornfield, a court heard today.

Witnesses came forward in the wake of huge publicity which followed the eight-year-old's disappearance on July 1 last year.

Their statements were read to the jury at Lewes Crown Court on the third day of mechanic Roy Whiting's trial for the murder and kidnap of the schoolgirl.

Timothy Langdale QC, prosecuting, read a statement given by Adam Jamieson of Kingston Lane, who had gone for a walk near his home with wife Susan on the night Sarah vanished.

He said: "Although clouds were gathering to the west the sun was setting above the trees. We walked down Kingston Lane towards Kingston Manor. Just past Kingston Manor is a gap in the hedge which leads to a cornfield and as we got near to the gap I could hear voices which I thought was the sound of children playing.

"I looked into the gap and could see three figures in the field silhouetted against the sun. I could not make out their faces but the smaller one of the three was only half a head taller than the corn which came to chest height on the other two. They appeared to be walking in line and I got the impression they were calling out but do not know what they were saying.

"I heard a scream. It was quite long and quite high pitched. It came from the wooded area to the right of the group. I thought it was from the children playing and didn't think any more of it."

Cynthia Read, who lives near North Lane, contacted police after seeing a reconstruction of Sarah's disappearance on television.

She had been due to visit her son who lives a 20-minute drive away in Storrington to babysit for him that evening but was running late when she left her house at 7.40pm.

She said: "I travelled out of my close and turned left and went around two bends. I approached Orchard Road at the junction. As I was on the bend I noticed a white van pull out very quickly into North Lane without hesitating. It was coming out of Kingston Lane. It was going quite quickly. When I went around that bend the van had already disappeared quickly out of my sight."

Cross-examined by Sally O'Neill, defending, Mrs Read said she had left work in Arundel half-an-hour late on the evening of July 1, adding: "I was in a hurry."

Asked by Miss O'Neill asked if she had ever seen a vehicle pull out from Kingston Lane without stopping at the give-way sign, Mrs Read said: "I cannot recall any occasion before."

A white van was spotted at 10.15pm on the A29 near Brinsbury Agricultural College, between Pulborough and Billingshurst, the court was told.

Pensioner Jacqueline Hallam was driving home from her daughter's house in Lindfield, near Haywards Heath, to Coldwaltham.

She told the court: "I remember the roads were very quiet and I had my full headlights on all the time. As I came past Brinsbury College my lights picked up a white van facing me on the left hand side of the road. It was stationary and I couldn't see anyone in it.

"I was surprised to see it there and instinctively swerved out of the way, although it wasn't necessary because it was parked off the road.

"The reason I noticed it was because I have never seen a vehicle parked in that location before and although when you live in the country you get used to cars parked near footpaths and gates, I wasn't aware there was a footpath or anything there."

Sarah's naked body was discovered half buried in a shallow grave in a field off the A29 16 days after she disappeared.

Mrs Hallam contacted police a few days afterwards to make her statements.

In his statement PC Paul Jeacock, stationed at Shoreham Airport, told how Sarah's brother, Lee, who was 13 at the time, had confided in him about the van which he had seen driving away, its wheels spinning.

PC Jeacock was called to Peak Lane at 9.50pm on July 1 and was one of the first officers on the scene.

He walked around the area where the children had been playing with Lee and his younger brother Luke.

He said: "At the point where we left Kingston Lane and left the field the elder brother, Lee informed me he didn't want to worry anyone so he didn't mentioned it before but when he followed Sarah back home he had lost sight of her just as she exited the field. As he got to Peak Lane he saw a white van, wheels spinning out of the road and the driver smiled at him and waved. I got the impression it was the first time he had mentioned it. I didn't want to question him too far because I am not suitably trained for that sort of thing. I reported it back."

The court heard how Inspector Jeffrey Lister had arrived on scene at 10.30pm and set up an incident room in the conservatory of Sarah's grandparents home as a full-scale search quickly got underway.

Trained officers with dogs and a police helicopter were used to scour the surrounding areas in the hunt for the little girl.

The trial continues.

Tuesday November 20