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The man accused of murdering Nikki Allan told police he was at a chip shop on the night the schoolgirl went missing and said he was a friend of her family.

David Boyd, also known as David Smith and David Bell, provided his account at the time when officers were investigating the seven-year-old girl's murder in October 1992.

Bell said he used to visit the abandoned Exhange Building alone to look for pigeons – and that he had been inside the derelict structure a week before Nikki was killed.

The court heard he was at home earlier in the evening with Caroline Branton Jnr – the daughter of his girlfriend Caroline Snr.

Photo issued by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) of an historic aerial view of the East End of Sunderland, which has been shown to the jury during the trial of David Boyd.

During house-to-house enquiries, he told police officers: "During my time in Wear Garth I came to know all the people in the Garth very well.

"I came to be friendly with the Prest (Allan) family. My girlfriend Caroline often babysits for Sharon Prest.

"I knew her two older girls Stacey who is eight and Nikki who is seven.

"At 9.30pm on the evening of the 7th October 1992 I was in my home with my girlfriend's daughter Caroline.

Photo issued by Northumbria Police of murdered schoolgirl Nikki Allan.

"At this time I left the flat to go visit my friend Terry who lived at number 14 Wear Garth.

"As I left via the front door, I looked at the Garth itself. On doing so I saw Nikki Prest standing in the middle of the Garth with two other girls.

"The two other girls were about the same age group as Nikki. As I walked along the three girls continued to play in the centre of the Garths."

Jurors heard how Boyd arrived at Terry Clark's house at approximately 9.30pm, but five minutes later he was asked to go to a nearby chippy for him.

He continued: "When I left Terry's flat I looked over and saw Nikki Prest and her two friends who were still in the Wear Garths playing together.

"I walked from the Wear Garths to the Stork chip shop. I was served at once.

"I then walked back to Wear Garth and the walk would have taken about ten minutes.

"On arrival at Wear Garth I did not see Nikki Prest or the other two girls."

Boyd told officers he arrived back at Mr Clark's flat at around 10pm.

He then returned to his own home but was later asked by Mr Clark if he would watch his three-year-old son as he had to leave momentarily.

Jurors heard Mr Clarke's wife then returned home and informed Boyd that Nikki had gone missing.

He added: "During the course of the (next) day I became aware Nikki had been found in the old white building.

"I know that building well because I have been inside it on occasions trying to catch pigeons.

"The last time I was in the building was about a week previous to this incident.

"On occasions I have been in the building I've not seen anyone else in there."

The murder trial continues.

Nikki Allan murder trial: Jurors hear defendant's account to police in 1992