Detectives hunting the killer of Milly Dowler today said they would not know until Monday if they had a match for mystery DNA discovered on the schoolgirl's clothing.

The male DNA, found on an item recovered from the 13-year-old's bedroom, has been matched to DNA found by chance at the scene of a burglary at a church in Sunderland.

Officers from Surrey Police took DNA swabs from 46 male worshippers and people linked to St Paul's Church in Ryhope last month.

The samples were sent away to the Forensic Science Service for testing in a bid to identify the mystery sample, which did not belong to those responsible for the burglary.

They had been expecting to find out today whether any of the samples matched the one found in Amanda's bedroom.

But a Surrey Police spokeswoman said: ''The DNA results of the swabbing have taken longer than expected and we now hope to get them on Monday.

''We will then be in a position to know whether we have a match or whether we need to make further inquiries in Sunderland.''

The Rev David Meakin, vicar of the church in Sunderland, where the DNA was discovered on a coffee cup last October, has denied suggestions that worshippers at his church were living in fear of the test results.

Milly disappeared while walking home from school in Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, on March 21 last year. Her remains were discovered in Yateley Heath Woods in Hampshire on September 20.