One of the men accused of murdering a restaurant manager almost 25 years ago was sacked by him, a court was told.

Jagtar Singh, 51, Jaspal Singh, 54, from Slough, Berkshire, and Balwant Singh, 58, from Dalmellington, Ayrshire, are accused of murdering 38-year-old Ansar Shah.

He is alleged to have repeatedly been stabbed and kicked on the body in the car park at the Armaan Resaurant in Seafield Road, Ayr, on October 4, 1993.

At the High Court in Glasgow, Shahid Hassan, 59, now living in Derby who works as a chef and taxi driver, told prosecutor Richard Goddard that he owned the Armaan restaurant in 1993.

Mr Goddard asked: "Did you employ Jaspal Singh as a chef and did he have a nickname," and Mr Hussain replied: "Yes he was called Pally."

The court also heard that Mr Shah worked as a manager at the restaurant.

The prosecutor said: "You know that the manager lost his life in the early hours of October 4, 1993," and Mr Hussain replied: "Yes."

Mr Hussain was asked if Jaspal Singh was sacked and said: "Yes, Mr Shah the manager sacked him because he wasn't doing his job properly.

"He did it while I was away on holiday in April 1993."

He told the court he received a phone call on October 4, 1993, telling him there had been an incident and the manager was dead.

Mr Goddard asked: "Did you go straight to the restaurant," and Mr Hussain replied: "Yes."

Jagtar Singh also denies attempting to defeat the ends of justice by changing his clothing and fleeing to England.

The trial before judge Lord Beckett continues.