Murdered woman's belongings found

Ms Delagrange was found dead shortly after getting off a bus

The discovery of items belonging to a French student murdered in a south-west London park has been described as a "significant breakthrough" by police.

Officers said the house keys, a CD Sony Walkman and a purse belonging to Amelie Delagrange, 22, were found in the River Thames near a bridge in Walton, Surrey.

Ms Delagrange was targeted as she took a short cut home across Twickenham Green on Thursday.

Police divers did not find her mobile phone and beige handbag.

The items that were discovered will be submitted for forensic examination.

Serial attacker link

The killer, who inflicted fatal head injuries, may have been lying in wait before the attack on Thursday night.

Detective Chief Superintendent Andy Murphy said officers were studying hundreds of hours of CCTV footage taken from around the green.

Police are also speaking to a number of witnesses and eliminating them from their inquiry, as they continued to build up a picture of the green at that time.

"We are looking for witnesses who may have seen something significant between Twickenham and near the bridge in Walton-on-Thames," he said.

RECENT ATTACKS IN THE AREA 1: 8 January 2003, 17-year-old girl attacked 2: 4 February 2003, Marsha McDonnell, 19, killed 3: 18 April 2004, 34-year-old woman attacked 4: 19 August 2004, Amelie Delagrange, 22, killed

Ms Delagrange was seen getting off at Fulwell Bus Garage at 2153 BST, half an hour before her body was found by a passer-by near the cricket pitch on the green.

But Mr Murphy said: "We do not know how the attacker arrived or when he arrived."

Mr Murphy has not ruled out the possibility that Ms Delagrange was the victim of a serial attacker.

There have been other attacks on females in the area in the last two years.

"There are some things that link them (the attacks) and other things that differentiate them," Mr Murphy said.

Marsha McDonnell, 19, was bludgeoned to death three miles away from the scene in February 2003.

A 17-year-old girl was also left with serious head injuries after an attack in Twickenham in January 2003.

And 34-year-old Edel Harbison also suffered a head injury while out walking near Twickenham Green in April.

A 16-year-old originally arrested in connection with the death of Ms McDonnell is being detained under the mental health act.

He was still in custody when Ms Delagrange died.