Kercher murder trial set to begin

The trial of two people accused of murdering British student Meredith Kercher is due to begin in Italy.

American Amanda Knox, 21, and Italian Raffaele Sollecito, 24, have been in jail for more than a year accused of the killing in Perugia.

A judge will decide on Friday whether their trial should be held in private.

Miss Kercher, from Coulsdon, south London, was found dead on November 2007. Rudy Hermann Guede, 21, has already been jailed for her murder.

Prosecutors claim she was killed as part of a bungled sex game involving Guede, her housemate Miss Knox, from Seattle, and the American's ex-boyfriend Mr Sollecito, from Bari.

More than 140 members of the press are said to have requested access to the trial and Miss Knox's legal team are believed to favour an open hearing.

They are currently trying to block the publication of a book about her written by an Italian journalist.

The trial is expected to last for several months.