Lawyers for teenage killer Luke Mitchell are still trying to find witnesses to help overturn his murder conviction, a court was told today.

Mitchell, 19, was found guilty of killing 14-year-old Jodi Jones in 2005.

He is appealing that conviction, and at a hearing last month his legal team said they hoped to bring forward new evidence in the case.

At a procedural hearing in Edinburgh today Mitchell's lawyer said they were continuing with their efforts.

Jane Farquharson QC told the court: "At this stage we are still trying to gather various information and witnesses."

However, she added: "We have approached some individuals who have refused to co-operate and there has been the other difficulty of trying to track down the relevant parties."

She also told the court: "We want to be able to present the best fresh evidence and at the moment I don't believe we have got the best available evidence to present to your lordships."

Mitchell was in court for today's hearing, dressed in a dark suit and blue shirt with his long hair tied back in a ponytail.

His mother Corinne was also present and sat in the courtroom's public benches.

Mitchell was ordered to serve at least 20 years behind bars after being convicted of murdering Jodi in Dalkeith, Midlothian.

The schoolgirl had been stripped, tied up and stabbed to death in woods near her home on June 30, 2003.

The trial, held at the High Court in Edinburgh, was the longest single accused murder trial in Scots legal history.

Trial judge Lord Nimmo Smith said the killing may have been inspired by the work of Gothic rock star Marilyn Manson.

At the end of today's hearing the three judges, Lord Hamilton, Lord Osborne and Lord Kingarth continued the case until the start of the appeal hearing on February 5.