A JURY have been told it is ‘likely’ that soil recovered from items in Christopher Halliwell’s shed came from the field where the remains of Becky Godden were found.

Halliwell, 52, is alleged to have strangled Miss Godden, 20, and buried her in a remote field in Eastleach, Gloucestershire, in 2003.

He is currently serving a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years after admitting stabbing and strangling office worker Sian O'Callaghan, 22, in 2011.

Bristol Crown Court has been told Halliwell initially confessed to strangling Miss Godden and led police to the "exact spot" of her remains.

As the second week of Halliwell’s trial into the murder of Miss Godden begins, the court heard evidence from forensic soil scientist Professor Lorna Dawson.

The evidence concerned soil samples taken from a wood handled spade and roll of tape attached to the back of it, a black handled garden fork and a pickaxe blade recovered from Halliwell’s shed along with the silver tape found in the grave.

These were compared to samples taken from Oxo Bottom Field.

The court heard the sample found on the black tape attached to the back of the wooden handled spade was “indistinguishable” in terms of colour, alcohol content and alkanes to soil at the edge of the grave.

Professor Dawson said the soil sediment sample from the wooden handled spade “likely came from an area near or close to the grave site.”

The court also heard a sample from Oxo Bottom field was compared with 500 other soil samples in a database.

“The chance of finding such similarity with other samples from elsewhere is negligible. This a moderately strong match. Nothing in those 500 samples was as close in similarity,” she said.

"There's nothing as seen with the samples we found on the silver tape, the black tape and the spade and Oxo Bottom field.

"All the soil on the silver tape - 100% - is likely to have come from Oxo Bottom field.

"About 50% of the soil that came from the black tape is likely to have come from the field.

"About 60% of the soil that came from the spade is likely to have come from Oxo Bottom field."

Prof Dawson described the soil from Oxo Bottom field as "sticky" and said it would "adhere to something that it came into contact with".

Halliwell, cross-examining the expert from the dock, asked her whether spades found in his shed would be able to dig a grave in the field.

"I didn't measure the penetration resistance of the soil in that field so I cannot comment on the particular strength of the tools," she replied.

Halliwell told the court: "I can assure you that they are not.

"I have worked on over 200 properties in that area. Those shovels aren't capable of going anywhere close to getting through that field.

"I've seen 36 tonne excavators break their teeth trying to get through that limestone."

The court previously heard police seized the tools and tape from the shed at Halliwell's home following his arrest in 2011.

Halliwell is said to have described himself as a "sick ******" to Detective Superintendent Steve Fulcher of Wiltshire Police in March 2011.

At the time, he was under arrest for kidnapping Miss O'Callaghan and was standing in Uffington, Oxfordshire, close to where her body was found.

The jury heard Halliwell then directed officers to Oxo Bottom field in Eastleach, where Miss Godden's remains were discovered.

Prosecutors allege that Miss O'Callaghan and Miss Godden disappeared from outside nightclubs in Swindon after getting into Halliwell's taxi.

Halliwell, formerly of Ashbury Avenue, has pleaded not guilty to murder and is representing himself at his trial.