Convicted wife killer Nat Fraser appeared in court today for the latest stage of the appeal against his conviction.

He heard today that his full appeal is on schedule to begin next month.

Fraser, 47, was jailed for a minimum of 25 years in January 2003 after a jury at the High Court in Edinburgh convicted him of murdering his estranged wife Arlene.

But he was freed on bail last year pending the appeal, which seeks to challenge a key part of the evidence used to secure his conviction.

Mrs Fraser's father, Hector McInnes, 66, was also in court today for the brief hearing.

A comprehensive appeal hearing, which will decide whether he should return to jail to complete his sentence, is due to begin in mid-November. It could last up to four weeks.

Fraser's legal team returned to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Edinburgh today for a procedural hearing in the case.

They had been expected to request a number of documents from the Crown, which they hope will help to prove his innocence.

But the court heard some of the paperwork has already been handed over following formal discussions between the parties.

The Lord Justice Clerk Lord Gill, Lord Osborne and Lord Johnston granted a motion for today's hearing to be continued for one more week to allow further conversations on the issue to take place.

The senior judges also heard that counsel were still confident the case will be able start on the date allotted.

Lawyers for the convicted killer told a previous hearing in the case that there are seven grounds of appeal in total.

Mrs Fraser was 33 when she disappeared from her home in New Elgin, Moray, after waving her two children off to school on April 28 1998.

Her body has never been found, despite a major probe by Grampian Police.

Her father Mr McInness said: "I just wanted keep up to speed and listen to everything that's going on," he said.

Fraser made no comment as he left court on foot.