Today's papers: Killer duo

DETECTIVES believe a female serial killer and male accomplice lie behind the murder of three teenagers previously thought to have been glue-sniffing victims. The Sunday Times says police in Sunderland are carrying out forensic tests to establish whether the three had sex with the woman before death.

The Observer reports that an elite group of universities plans to 'break away' from the rest. Other universities have accused the group, consisting of Oxford, Cambridge, the London School of Economics, University College London, Imperial College, Manchester, Warwick, Edinburgh and Birmingham, of wanting to seize the lion's share of first-rate students.

Lord Archer has issued a 'back me or disown me' ultimatum to the Tory high command in an attempt to rebuild his political career after the DTI inquiry into his share dealings. He has told Tory chiefs he will attend party events only if given formal and public backing to do so by the Conservative hierarchy, according to the Sunday Telegraph.

The Government has failed to convince even its own supporters that it can win the war against crime, the Sunday Express reports. An eve of conference poll shows 88 per cent believe it has had no impact on making Britain a safer place.

The News of the World claims Britain's secret service filmed Princess Diana making love to Major James Hewitt in his back garden. The Royal Marine who led the surveillance, Colour Sergeant Glyn Jones, claims his team planted a microphone in the undergrowth of Hewitt's family home in Ebford, Devon.