A SOIL expert who helped nail killer cabbie Christopher Halliwell has won a national award.

Scottish professor Lorna Dawson gave crucial evidence at last year’s trial for the murder of Swindon girl Becky Godden-Edwards.

After taking soil samples from garden tools found in Halliwell’s shed, Professor Dawson was able to link them to the Gloucestershire field where Becky’s remains were discovered.

She told the Bristol Crown Court jury that soil from a wooden-handled spade “likely came from an area near or close to the grave site”.

Halliwell was found guilty of Becky’s murder last year. After his conviction, the 53-year-old was told he would die in prison.

Now, a year on from the trial, Prof Dawson has been put forward for the biggest prize of her career: a Pride of Britain award.

The forensic scientist, who works at the Aberdeen-based James Hutton Institute, has spent the last 30 years researching soil.

She recalled the Halliwell case as “very challenging”: “I felt it was important to get justice for Becky’s family, who had waited so long to get some resolution and closure.”

Professor Dawson was confident in the techniques on which she based her Halliwell testimony – as the experienced scientist was the one to develop them.

Two years before Halliwell’s 2016 trial, Professor Dawson had used her soil sampling techniques to bring infamous Edinburgh murderer Angus Sinclair to justice. The so-called “World’s End killer” was jailed for the murders of friends Helen Scott and Christine Eadie almost four decades earlier.

She said: “Every case is different and every case is context dependent. I think it really is important to communicate the science.”

To that end, she’s been working with police forces as far afield as Argentina and Denmark. “The work is going international now,” said Prof Dawson.

Professor Dawson said it was “absolutely amazing” to win the Daily Mirror-backed Pride of Britain gong.

“It’s amazing just meeting the other people who have won. It’s tremendous,” she said.

After being nominated by the public, a panel of judges chose the 13 award winners.

“It’s really lovely,” said Special Recognition award winner Professor Dawson. “I’d like to thank the public so much for recognising the benefits of science that keeps us all safe.”

The awards were handed out at a glitzy ceremony in top London hotel Grosvenor House on Monday evening.

Prime minister Theresa May, who attended the bash, said: “I could not be more proud to offer my congratulations to all Pride of Britain Awards winners.

“These are Britain’s unsung heroes: people who have put themselves in the line of danger for others, who have persevered in the face of adversity, and whose selfless acts have helped to make other people’s lives better.

“Through what they have done they have also shown the tremendous bravery, decency and compassion that exists in our communities up and down the country.”

Karen Edwards, whose daughter Becky was murdered by killer cabbie Halliwell, said: "Lorna most certainly deserves the award for her outstanding work. She is an incredible lady and an inspiration to us all."