Officers gave evidence in the trial of Paolo Gabriele, the Pope's once-trusted butler who faces four years in prison if convicted of aggravated theft for stealing papal documents and leaking them to a journalist.

The final four witnesses were heard yesterday and closing arguments are set for Saturday, when a verdict by the three-judge Vatican panel is expected.

Inspector Silvano Carli said that of the many thousands of documents seized from Mr Gabriele's home, about 1000 were of interest because they were original or photocopied Vatican documents. Some documents came from the Pope's office, some had the processing codes of the secretariat of state, others originated in various Vatican congregations "and some documents concerned the total privacy and private life of the Holy Father", said police officer Stefano De Santis.

He said some of the originals carried the Pope's handwriting, with a note to destroy them written in German.

The trial continues.

l An Italian man eluded Vatican security and scaled the 427ft dome of St Peter's Basilica to protest against Italian government and European Union policies.