THE evil couple who murdered Inverkip woman Margaret Fleming are now to be pursued for over £180,000 by prosecutors the Tele can reveal.

Eddie Cairney, 77, and Avril Jones, 59, have been served with Proceeds of Crime notices as the Crown looks to recover benefits cash they are said to have banked during the 17 years Margaret was missing prior to their arrest.

The Tele understands the scheming duo were given notice of intent to recover the monies just minutes after the guilty verdict was returned by the jury on Friday afternoon.

The paperwork confirms that the Crown are looking to recoup a total sum of £182,000 - the figure both were initially charged with defrauding from the state at the start of their seven week trial.

While Jones was convicted of fraudulently claiming the money, the charge against Cairney was dropped.

However that didn't prevent prosecutors serving the Proceeds of Crime paperwork on both at the conclusion of their trial.

Monies being pursued relate to a sizeable four-figure cash sum found in Jones' handbag as the pair tried to board a late-night train from Central Station in Glasgow to London just before their arrest in 2017, as well as a five-figure sum recovered from a bank in the capital.

Around £25,000 was discovered within a safety deposit box at the Metro Bank in London's Tottenham Court Road, pictured.

During the murder trial Cairney admitted to being at the location, claiming her there to visit and meet with Margaret.

Despite checks of security cameras around the Tottenham Court Road area, no footage was ever recovered that showed the missing woman, although Cairney was caught on camera close to the bank where the cash was found.

Meanwhile it has emerged that Jones has befriended another killer while behind bars.

Sandra Weir, 43, was locked up for bludgeoning a gran to death with a rolling pin.

Weir was jailed for a minimum of 21 years in January 2017 after a savage attack on neighbour Mary Logie, 82, in Leven, Fife.

Sources close to the case say the pair have developed a close bond, the main reason Jones refused to ask for bail after her first murder trial alongside Cairney collapsed.

The source said: “Avril and Sandra have been joined at the hip since being put in the same cell.

“People at the court on Friday were shocked that she seemed so calm after the verdict, but it is probably because she is happy to be going back to see Sandra."

Jones and Cairney were convicted of killing Margaret, 19, between December 1999 and January 2000 and are both behind bars waiting to be sentenced.

Jurors also found them guilty of trying to defeat justice at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday.

Margaret's body has never been found, although senior police officers have now urged the pair to tell them where she is.

Background reports are currently being prepared on Cairney and Jones.

They will both receive life sentences, with the minimum term each will serve behind bars to be set when they appear again next month.