A FORMER North-East student has gone on trial charged with murdering a supermarket worker.

A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh was told how 18-year-old Barry Wallace, of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, went missing shortly after leaving a party.

Former Teesside Polytechnic student William Beggs, 37, went on trial for the murder of the supermarket worker, whose arms and legs were found in Loch Lomond a few days after he disappeared in the early hours of December 5, 1999.

Beggs, of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire, denies the charge.

Mr Wallace's father, Ian, 51, told the court he identified his son's head after it was found on a beach at Barassie, near Troon.

Beggs is alleged to have handcuffed, punched and sexually assaulted Barry, before killing and dismembering him, and discarding his body parts in Loch Lomond and in the sea at Bar-assie.

Mr Wallace said he last spoke to his son the afternoon before he disappeared.

Only later on Sunday did he start to become worried about his son's whereabouts, he told the court.

By nightfall the family had become "very concerned" and Mr Wallace called several of Barry's friends on Monday in a frantic effort to find out where he was.

He learned that Barry had failed to turn up for work on Monday morning and eventually went to the police that evening to report his son missing.

In the next few days, Mr Wallace learned that body parts had been found in Loch Lomond and on the Ayrshire coastline.

He said Barry was a quiet boy who had a close circle of friends and never sought the company of strangers.

Mr Wallace said: "I don't think he would ever go to a party without some of his friends being there."

Advocate depute Alan Turnbull asked Mr Wallace if Barry had had any girlfriends.

He asked Mr Wallce: "As far as you were aware, were any of Barry's friends practising homosexuals?"

Mr Wallace replied: "No."

Mr Turnbull asked if Mr Wallace had ever had any inclination to suggest that Barry himself was homosexual. Mr Wallace said: "None whatsoever."

Cross-examined by Donald Findlay, QC, defending, Mr Wallace said his son had never shown any interest in drugs and that as far as he was aware none of his friends had either.

The case was adjourned until today