A former friend of two carers accused of murdering missing Margaret Fleming told a jury they could not look after themselves.

Alison Nugent, 55, was giving evidence on Friday at the High Court in Glasgow where Edward Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 59, deny murdering Ms Fleming at Seacroft, Main Road, Inverkip, at some point between December 18, 1999 and January 5, 2000.

Ms Fleming, who would now be 38, has allegedly not been seen for more than 19 years.

Mrs Nugent told jurors: "They couldn't look after themselves never mind anyone else.

"They were in ill health and their house was falling apart around their ears.

"They didn't have the wherewithal to care for another person."

Nugent said the house was "in disrepair" and the ceiling was peeling away.

The court had previously seen pictures of the home that was described as "chaotic" by a police scene examiner.

The court heard that Jones never told Mrs Nugent about Ms Fleming until there was a missing persons' inquiry into her disappearance in November 2016.

She said: "Avril said she came back from getting her hair done and Margaret and Eddie had gone on a walk to Weymss Bay.

"She said there was someone at the door looking for Margaret and then the police appeared.

"Then Margaret ran away."

Mrs Nugent claims Jones told her Miss Fleming had gone to go with travellers.

She stopped all contact with Jones as she "couldn't believe the story anymore".

Jones' cousin Margaret Millar said she was told Ms Fleming would come back and collect her benefit money.

She told the court that in letter exchanges before the year 2000, Jones said she had fallen out with Ms Fleming who had then left, but "didn't go into specific details".

Cairney and Jones are accused of defrauding £182,000 in benefits and attempting to defeat the ends of justice by claiming Ms Fleming was alive.

They deny all the charges against them.

The trial continues before Sheriff Lord Matthews.