A pathologist has told the Old Bailey Tia Sharp had no injuries to her body, contradicting Stuart Hazell's claims she died after falling down the stairs.

Mr Hazell, 37, the former partner of Tia's grandmother Christine, said the 12-year-old died after falling down the stairs and breaking her neck.

But this afternoon, pathologist Dr Ashley Fegan-Earl told the court there were no broken bones when he examined the Merton schoolgirl's body, and asphyxia was the most likely cause of death.

Jurors heard there were no signs of external injuries found on Tia's body.

Giving evidence to the court, Dr Fegan-Earl said there was no obvious bruising to Tia's neck and there were no signs of strangulation or compression to her neck.

He said: "I would lean to various forms of asphyxia for the cause of death. Some include manual strangulation of which there is no evidence.

"Others involve a ligature around the neck, again there is no evidence, but it can also include smothering and also force applied to the chest to prevent breathing."

He added:"Throughout my examinations I could find no evidence of injuries that would suggest an accidental cause of death such as a fall."

Dr Fegan Earl said it was not possible to come to a definite conclusion about the cause of Tia's death, which is why it was formally recorded as unascertained.

He also said he could not exclude the possibility Tia had been sexually assaulted, but he had found no pathological evidence of a sexual assault.

Asked about a photograph of a naked girl on all fours alleged to be Tia on her bed at her grandmother's house, Dr Fegan-Earl said in his opinion the photo was taken when the person in it was dead.

He said: "There were changes in the body that signalled to me that the individual was dead."

Asked if the person in the picture could be Tia, Dr Fegan-Earl added: "There is certainly a possibility that picture was of Tia Sharp."

Mr Hazell of The Lindens, New Addington, denies sexually assaulting and murdering the schoolgirl. The case continues.