POLICE hunting the killer of schoolgirl Milly Dowler are set to widen their search in a North-East community after failing to find a match for mystery DNA found on the schoolgirl's clothing.

The unidentified male DNA, discovered on an item of Millie's clothing recovered from her bedroom, had been matched to DNA found by chance at the scene of a burglary at a church, in the Sunderland area.

The DNA, which was taken from a cup, was not matched to two men cautioned for burglary at St Paul's, in the village of Ryhope.

A team of Surrey officers travelled to the North-East and took DNA from 46 men connected with the church, including vicar David Meakin.

A Surrey police spokesman said: "We have now received the results of the 46 DNA samples taken from men in the Ryhope area of Sunderland.

"The initial swabbing has not recorded a match to the DNA taken from St Paul's Church and from an item of Milly's clothing.

"Detectives from Operation Ruby will be travelling to Sunderland in the near future to liaise with local police with a view to carrying out further investigative and intelligence work."

The discovery of the clue came ten months after Millie went missing while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey in March last year. Her body was found six months later.

Reacting to yesterday's news, the Reverend Meakin said: "The negative result will be a relief for those tested.

"There are a number of people in the community who have visited the church, for weddings, funerals and Christenings.

"Anyone of those could have drank from that cup and it would be possible to find out who else could have been in the church in the time leading up to the discovery of the DNA match."

Church warden Gordon Peel, 70, was one of those tested by police. He said: "They should do the whole village. Everything should be done to catch the person responsible."

The Surrey police spokes-man said officers still thought it was "unlikely" the DNA sample would lead to a suspect in the case.

He added: "We think it is just a strange coincidence that we need to get to the bottom of, but we do not believe it is going to lead us to a suspect in the case."