Italian police have found a set of fingerprints on mobile phones belonging to Meredith Kercher, the British student found dead on Friday, which they believe will lead to her murderer.

It was also established last night that the murder weapon appeared to have been a penknife.

Luca Lalli, the chief forensic science officer in the case, dampened down speculation in the Italian media that Ms Kercher had been raped. He said only that there were “possible” signs of sexual activity. He said that the coroner’s preliminary findings had produced “interesting elements” but declined to elaborate further.

Ms Kercher, 21, from Coulsdon, South London, was found in her bedroom in the idyllic central Italian town of Perugia with lacerations to her throat. Her partially clothed body was discovered under a duvet on Friday at an apartment in the Viale Sant’Antonio, not far from the city centre.

The fingerprints are understood to have been discovered on her British and Italian mobile telephones, which were found in undergrowth by a neighbour hours before her body was found.

Ms Kercher was in the third year of her European studies degree at the University of Leeds. She travelled to Perugia at the start of September as part of a year-long Erasmus programme. Police are still attempting to piece together her final moments.

On Thursday evening she visited a female friend’s home to watch a film. Her three female flatmates went to a party that night and did not return until Friday lunchtime.

One of them, Amanda Knox, arrived to find evidence of a break-in. She and another flatmate then reportedly found traces of blood in the bathroom. They called the police after they discovered that Ms Kercher’s bedroom was locked from the inside.Meanwhile, an elderly neighbour found both of Ms Kercher’s telephones and reported them to the police. Officers traced one of the telephones to the flat, where they kicked in the door and discovered her body.

Police sources have been quoted in the Italian press as saying that the crime scene was not as bloody as would be expected from such a brutal crime. They suggest that the killer might have cleaned himself, or herself, up before leaving through the bedroom window.

Police are also investigating the theory that Ms Kercher may have met her killer at a Hallowe’en party on Wednesday. She posted a picture from the party on the website Facebook.

Her father John, a freelance journalist, is believed to be in Italy accompanied by British embassy staff.

Fears rose yesterday that Ms Kercher’s murder would fuel rising xenophobia in Italy. There is widespread belief among local Italians that the assailant could have been an immigrant. Their suspicions followed the murder last week of a 47-year-old Italian woman in Rome. A homeless Romanian immigrant from a makeshift camp is being held on suspicion of her murder.

Ms Kercher’s aunt, Sandra Jennings from Grays, Essex, last night paid tribute to her niece, who was nicknamed “Mez”. She said that she had been trying to console Ms Kercher’s mother, Arline. “Mez was a young, thoughtful person, kind to everyone, especially her family and friends. Whoever did this has wrecked several lives as we all loved her,” she said.

Students and friends in Perugia have organised a torch-lit procession tonight to remember Miss Kercher.

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