Former bouncer Levi Bellfield is to seek permission to appeal against his conviction for the kidnap and murder of teenager Milly Dowler.

Lawyers for Bellfield are scheduled to make an appeal application in the Court of Appeal in London on Wednesday.

Bellfield was given a whole life term in June 2011 after being found guilty of abducting and killing 13-year-old Milly following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Bellfield's application for leave to appeal is due to be heard by a panel of three judges - the Lord Chief Justice, Lord Judge, Mr Justice Wyn Williams and Mr Justice Maddison.

Milly was snatched from the street while on her way to her home in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, in March 2002, Old Bailey jurors heard.

Bellfield, 43 when convicted, was already serving a whole-life term for the murders of Amelie Delagrange and Marsha McDonnell - and the attempted murder of Kate Sheedy - when he went trial last year. Trial judge, Mr Justice Wilkie, described Bellfield as a "cruel and pitiless killer".

Bellfield was sentenced a day after being convicted of Milly's murder. He yawned when found guilty and refused to return to the Old Bailey when the sentence was handed down. The trial judge said Bellfield had "not had the courage" to come to court.

Milly disappeared on her way home from school. Her decomposed body was found six months later in a wood in Yateley Heath, Hampshire - 25 miles from Walton-on-Thames. Experts could not say how she died.

Bellfield, who had also worked as a wheelclamper, lived 50 yards from where the youngster vanished but did not become a suspect until he was arrested by police in London for the other crimes in 2004.

Surrey Police apologised for errors which allowed Bellfield to go undetected for more than two years - during which time he killed two other women and tried to kill a third. In 2008, he had been given a whole life term for murdering Marsha McDonnell, 19, in 2003, and murdering Amelie Delagrange, 22, and attempting to murder Kate Sheedy, 18, in 2004.