A nine-year-old girl whose mother was murdered is to stay with her grandmother in Scotland.

Mrs Shona Stevens, 31, died after a hammer attack near her home in Irvine, Ayrshire, in November 1994. Her killer has never been found, despite exhaustive inquiries, including a BBC Crimewatch programme.

At the time, her daughter Candice was living with her mother and grandmother, Mrs Mary Smith, 62, in Alder Green, Irvine, Ayrshire.

Her father, Mr Mark Stevens, 34, lives in South Africa and was in dispute with Mrs Smith over who should have custody of Candice. Evidence was due to be heard in the case at the Court of Session yesterday.

Lord Penrose was told, however, that it had now been agreed that it would be in the girl's best interests for Mrs Smith to be awarded custody with the father being allowed access.

Mr Stevens will be able to see his daughter in Scotland this week and will have access to her for a week every two years either here or in South Africa.

In her action, Mrs Smith said when Mr Stevens began divorce proceedings in S.Africa, her daughter was suffering from severe depression and did not defend the action.

Mrs Stevens returned to live in S. Africa in 1990, but came back to Scotland in 1991 and lived with Candice and Mrs Smith until she was murdered.

Mrs Smith said that Candice attended a local primary school, and argued that it would not be in the child's best interests to have her environment disturbed.

She added that Mr Stevens had enjoyed almost no contact with his daughter since she came to live in Scotland at the age of nine months. He had stopped sending her birthday and Christmas presents when she was two years old.

Candice had a very close relationship with her and felt secure, Mrs Smith maintained.