A care worker accused of murdering his landlady's 13-year-old daughter was caught on CCTV carrying a bag full of blood-stained clothes after stabbing her to death, a court heard.

Cameras filmed Stephen Nicholson cycling away from Southampton Sports Centre, Hampshire, with a bulging Tesco carrier bag attached to his handlebars, jurors were told.

It is alleged the footage was taken after he repeatedly stabbed schoolgirl Lucy McHugh in the neck and left her to die in secluded woodland near to her home, where he also lived.

Prosecutors say he then burned some of the clothing and dumped it all in a stream on his route back to his house.

Cameras filmed Stephen Nicholson cycling away from Southampton Sports Centre, Hampshire

He can be seen with a bulging Tesco carrier bag on his handlebars, which prosecutors say contained bloodstained clothes

Nicholson (circled) is filmed arriving at the outdoor sports centre at just after 9.30am on July 25

Stephen Nicholson, 24, (right) is accused of murdering Lucy McHugh (left) who was found with stab wounds in woodland near her home in Southampton, Hampshire

The footage had filmed him buying a Dr Pepper, cider and cigarettes, and paying for the carrier bag in a Tesco store at 9am on July 25 last year.

Around two hours later, cameras picked him up riding away from the sports centre with the bag he had purchased earlier now bulging.

Prosecutor William Mousley QC has told the court that in the intervening time Nicholson had met with and killed Lucy.

It is claimed that tattoo artist Nicholson, 25, murdered her hours after she told him she was pregnant following a secret year-long sexual relationship.

Winchester Crown Court was shown CCTV footage of Nicholson and Lucy on the day of her death, and the day before.

Footage also showed Nicholson arriving at a Tesco store before he is alleged to have murdered Lucy

He is filmed buying a Dr Pepper, cider and cigarettes, and paying for the carrier bag

Nicholson then leaves the store, (pictured) and is filmed cycling to the sports centre

In other clips, Lucy, wearing leggings and a white top, is shown walking from her home in Southampton, in the direction of the outdoor sports centre at 9am on July 25.

The journey took Lucy half-an-hour and shows her carrying a bottle as well as taking her jacket off and checking her watch, the jury was told.

Footage was obtained from 211 different cameras, including one on a bus, with approximately 11,222 hours of footage trawled through by detectives to piece together the final movements of Lucy and those of Nicholson.

Investigator Stephen Dicker talked the court through the videos, captured by cameras across Southampton, which he said had been carefully pored over for a 'considerable amount of time'.

Lucy, wearing leggings and a white top, is shown on CCTV walking from her home in Southampton, in the direction of the outdoor sports centre at 9am on July 25

CCTV camera showing Lucy on her way to the outdoor sports centre at 9,20am

Lucy, pictured, 13, was found dead in woodland at Southampton Sports Centre in July

This included closely inspecting footage of Nicholson riding his bike, which he would often do without his hands on the handlebars, so they could track him, and the clothing and footwear he and Lucy had on so they could plot the routes taken.

Giving evidence today, police investigator Mr Dicker said: 'The bag appears to have been attached to the handlebars of his bike and from the footage is seems to be full.'

Further footage from a camera close to Nicholson's mother's home then shows him carrying the bag, which appears to be emptier than earlier, in his hand.

Mr Dicker said: 'The bag is no longer attached to the handlebars, it is being carried by the rider, and it doesn't appear to be as full now as it was in previous images.

'We worked on the CCTV footage for months, watching it over and over again to judge the bag. I have watched this footage countless times.'

More than a month after Lucy's death, police were able to trace Nicholson to Tanners Brook in the Shirley area of Southampton, Hampshire, during his ride on July 25.

Stephen Nicholson, 25, (right) in the dock at Winchester Crown Court where he is accused of repeatedly stabbing 13-year-old Lucy McHugh in the neck and upper body in woodland

A thorough search of the area led to the discovery of the bloodstained and burned clothing.

The court also heard evidence today from a dog walker who found Lucy's body on July 26 last year.

Russell Morrell was taking his terrier for a morning walk when he stumbled upon Lucy, who had lain dead for almost 24 hours.

He said he had not believed the teenager was actually dead when he first found her, calling out to her and offering to help.

He contacted the police, and was able to guide them to Lucy's body, which was among trees around 50ft from a footpath at the sports centre.

Stacey White arriving at Winchester Crown Court this week

In a statement, read today at court, Mr Morrell said: 'I took my Russian Black Terrier, named Moscow, for a walk at the sports centre, which I do regularly. We went into a large woods, where I found the body.

'I spotted the body and I hoped it was someone asleep. I called out, 'hello, are you okay? Can I help?'. She was laid face down, almost in the recovery position.

'She looked like she was asleep. I would liken the amount of blood I could see to the amount you get from a nose bleed that you had wiped on your sleeve.

Russell Morrell was taking his terrier for a morning walk when he stumbled upon Lucy (pictured) who had lain dead for almost 24 hours

'It didn't look like a murder scene, there was no pool of blood or weapon sticking out of the body.'

The jury has heard Nicholson 'deleted' a series of Facebook messages between himself and Lucy the night before she went missing.

When interviewed by police, he told them Lucy had demanded a meeting with him, telling him she was pregnant. However, he said she was simply becoming obsessed with him and he blocked her.

Nicholson, who it is claimed had a 'sexual interest' in underage girls, was a lodger at Lucy's mother Stacey White and stepfather Richard Elmes' home in Southampton.

Prosecutor Mr Mousley said Lucy's family thought she had developed a crush on Nicholson while he was living with them, with the pair often arguing to the point one had to spend days away from the home.

However, he told the court there was actually a darker explanation for the arguments, with diary entries and letters written by Lucy claiming Nicholson had been having sex with her.

The prosecutor told the court after arranging to meet Lucy in the woodland, Nicholson stabbed her to death.

During the hours after the attack, Nicholson is then alleged to have started using a new mobile phone and hid his old one, reset his Facebook password and lit a bonfire to destroy the trainers he was wearing.

Nicholson, of Southampton, denies murdering Lucy and three charges of raping her when she was 12.

He also denies two counts of sexual activity with her when she was 13 and a further count of the same charge relating to another victim, who was 14 at the time, five years earlier in 2012.

The trial continues.