CALLOUS child-killer Miles Evans will remain behind bars after his latest bid to overturn a life sentence for the murder of his nine-year-old stepdaughter Zoe was thrown out.

Evans, a former soldier, went before three appeal court judges in London on Wednesday to appeal against the conviction.

The body of pretty Warminster schoolgirl Zoe Evans was found stuffed in a disused badger sett at the foot of Battlesbury Hill five years ago, just 400 metres from the family home in Pepper Place.

The grim discovery by a Ministry of Defence police officer ended a seven-week police search that cost £1m. It was the biggest-ever police search for a missing child.

Police officers and Zoe's tortured family breathed a sigh of relief as Evans' application for leave to appeal was thrown out.

Detective Chief Inspector Trevor Symes, who led the murder investigation, said Zoe's mother Paula Appleton, who now lives in Wales, was glad her daughter's killer will remain behind bars.

Speaking after the verdict he said: "There was a sense of relief from Zoe's mother that the verdict was upheld.

"We are all delighted. Wiltshire Constabulary conducted a thorough investigation into the tragic circumstances surrounding Zoe's death. We hope this judgement brings this heartbreaking case to an end."

Defence barrister William Clegg QC told judges a known sex beast was lurking in Warminster at the time of Zoe's disappearance. He said information on the suspect, who had a history of rape, was never given to the jury, creating a "lurking doubt" on Evans' conviction.

He said: "The jury were left in a position at the end of the trial where they would have asked themselves if the step-father didn't kill Zoe, then who did?

"No-one could conceivably describe this as a strong case."

The three judges, Lord Justice May, Mr Justice Cresswell and Sir Richard Rouglier, admitted the case against Evans was circumstantial and hinged on two to three main strands of evidence including the discovery of Evans' blood-stained T-shirt which was found close to Zoe's body.

Pathologists identified the cause of Zoe's death as asphyxiation but her body was so badly decomposed it was not possible to establish whether Evans had sexually abused his stepdaughter.

The Warminster soldier, who was serving with the Royal Logistics Corps, shattered the schoolgirl's nose before forcing her body into the abandoned badger sett.

This was the second time Evans has been denied an appeal hearing.

Zoe's mother Paula Appleton, who is now married to a soldier from the Green Howards regiment, called for the death sentence to be returned when her former husband was sentenced to life at Bristol Crown Court in 1998.

He notoriously made a tearful TV appeal for help in finding missing Zoe.

This latest chapter in Evans' appeal bid has brought back memories to people in Warminster who at the time described Zoe as a "playful and charming schoolgirl".

Headteacher at New Close Primary School, May McCalley, who brought in psychologists to help pupils deal with the trauma of Zoe's death, said she still remembers the happy nine-year-old.

"We all remember Zoe. Many of her teachers are still here. Children still vote for the most helpful person in their groups every week in memory of Zoe.

"We like to remember Zoe as she was a lovely little girl. All the children and staff really loved her. You don't want to dwell on what happened to her or else you would go mad."

Warminster town councillor Ultan Ryan said the police investigation was professionally handled.

"It was a really, really horrible time, we all dreaded the news. The police handled the case extremely well," he said.