Missing teenager Danielle Jones walked off "in a stroppy mood" after an argument with the driver of a blue van days before she went missing, Chelmsford Crown Court was told.

A 12-year-old friend of Danielle's younger brother, Mitchell, told the court he saw Danielle walking to a shop - known locally as Khan's - after school on Friday June 15.

Danielle, 15, of Hayle, East Tilbury, vanished three days later on Monday June 18.

Her uncle Stuart Campbell, of Meadow Road, Grays, stands accused of abducting and murdering Danielle. He denies the charges.

The court heard previously how the 44-year-old builder drove a blue Transit van.

The boy - who cannot be named for legal reasons - told the court yesterday: "The blue van pulled up behind her.

"She carried on walking, then she walked back and started speaking. First they started speaking, then they were arguing."

Brian Altman, for the prosecution, asked: "Was there anything you saw or heard that made her walk back?"

The boy replied: "I think he shouted out her name."

Danielle stood on the pavement talking to the driver of the van, said the boy, but he could not hear what they said.

Mr Altman asked: "How long were they speaking before it became an argument?"

The boy replied: "Not long - around 30 seconds. They were shouting at each other ... for about three minutes.

"She walked off in a stroppy mood."

He recalled the van was blue and had white writing on the side.

Michael Borrelli QC, defending, quizzed the youngster on why he could hear the name called out - but not the words that were "shouted" during the "argument".

He asked: "Are you sure about this shouting?" But the boy insisted: "Yes."

Mr Borrelli also suggested the events took place on a Monday rather than a Friday.

A 13-year-old boy, also a friend of Danielle's brother, told the court he was at the shop at the same time - and also saw Danielle speaking to a van driver.

As he rode past on his bicycle, he looked inside the vehicle and saw a man with dark brown hair "leaning on the steering wheel" wearing blue overalls and a white T-shirt, the court heard.

The boy was later asked to attend an ID parade at Harlow police station -but was unable to pick out the defendant.

The men were wearing red baseball caps and the youngster found it difficult to identify a hairstyle, the jury was told.

Screens were yesterday placed in court so the young witnesses could not see Campbell - but this should not "imply anything against the defendant", the jury was told.

Stuart Campbell, 44, of Meadow Road, Grays, denies the abduction and murder of Danielle Jones, of Hayle, East Tilbury. The case continues

Follow the case day by day in the Evening Echo

Brought to you by the Evening Echo

Published Friday October 25, 2002