Four police officers failed to search the bathroom of a flat belonging to a man accused of murdering a woman and dismembering her body.

Two of them also failed to act when a chainsaw and filled bin bags were spotted during the search, a trial has heard.

Constables Paul Convoy and Debbie Ironside went to Steven Jackson's Montrose flat in October 2015 as part of an investigation into the whereabouts of Kimberley MacKenzie, who had been reported missing.

Days later, Ms MacKenzie's dismembered body was found in bins at two locations in the Angus town.

Following the grisly discovery, Jackson, 40, and 29-year-old Michelle Higgins were arrested and charged with murder and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

At the High Court in Glasgow on Thursday, judge Lady Rae heard the two officers searched the living room, kitchen and hallway of Jackson's flat two days after Ms MacKenzie died but neglected to look in the bathroom.

Judge Lady Rae asked: "When you are asked to search a house, what does that actually mean?"

Ms Ironside replied: "A look around." She then explained it meant the entire house should be searched.

The judge asked: "Is there some sort of special system in Montrose about searching?

"You're the fourth officer that didn't search that bathroom in that flat that day."

In earlier evidence, constable Dawn Faulkner told the court neither she nor her colleague searched the bathroom when they were in the flat on the same day.

She told the court the slip-up was because of "miscommunication".

Giving evidence, Mr Convoy told the trial he found a chainsaw in a recess behind the front door.

The officer said: "He (Jackson) told me not to worry about it, that it was a friend's and that no longer had a motor."

Jackson also told the officer he was no longer in contact with Ms MacKenzie as he was in a relationship with Higgins.

Ms Ironside said she saw "two or three black bin liners which were at least half full" in the house.

Advocate depute Ashley Edwards QC, prosecuting, asked what impression she formed about the volume of the bags.

The officer replied: "It seemed quite a square shape that was in these bin bags, square or rectangle they were at least half full."

She said she did not mention anything about the bags in her report on the search.

Both Jackson and Higgins deny the charges against them, and the trial continues.