THE polo shirt and trainers worn by a murder suspect on the day he is alleged to have killed a pensioner have never been found, a jury was told.

Adam Mason denies murdering Desmond Wooding at the 80-year-old's home in Vines Lane, Droitwich as his trial continued at Worcester Crown Court yesterday. The pensioner died on June 23 last year after receiving 11 stab wounds.

Adam Mason's uncle, 55-year-old Mark Mason, denies assisting an offender by driving him from the scene. The prosecution case closed yesterday and the defence case is scheduled to begin today. Adam Mason, 33, of Plough Lane, Tibberton had been drinking at the Gardeners Arms pub in Vines Lane on the day Mr Wooding was killed. CCTV shows him leaving the pub with his dog at 8.42pm.

He called his uncle before returning to the pub at 9.12pm, leaving again at 9.16pm. Mark Mason arrived in Vines Lane at 9.21pm and the two left together in his Mercedes van. The prosecution say the murder took place in a 20 minute period after Adam Mason first left the pub. A witness who spotted a man near Mr Wooding's door on the day he was killed did not pick out Adam Mason during a video identification procedure.

Swabs taken at the home of Mr Wooding, from his body and walking stick revealed no forensic link with Adam Mason while a fingerprint from the hallway side of the main bedroom of the pensioner's home had not been identified.

Six polo shirts belonging to Adam Mason were seized but none were said by DC Matthew Archer to match the one the defendant was wearing on the day of the murder. Only one pair of trainers with any similarity to the ones the defendant was seen wearing were found at his then address at Trehearn Road in Droitwich but they did not have the same thick white trim, the officer said.

The officer confirmed that another man, also with a dog, captured on CCTV the day before the murder had never been identified.

The trial continues.