Stephen Lawrence murder: Met Police investigation to be reviewed by another force

The Met Police investigation into the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence will be reviewed by an “outside force”, following criticism from the teenager’s mother.

On April 22 1993, Stephen Lawrence was stabbed to death at the age of 18 by a gang of white men in Eltham, while waiting for a bus.

This week, 31 years on, Met Police commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised to Mr Lawrence’s mother, Baroness Doreen Lawrence, for failing to provide an explanation for shortcomings in the investigation by police.

Baroness Doreen Lawrence was promised an explanation after a BBC investigation named Matthew White as a sixth major suspect last June. White died in 2021 aged 50.

A Met Police spokesperson said: “While we have not identified any additional viable lines of inquiry, recognising the concerns held by Baroness Lawrence and the significance of this investigation we will be asking an outside force to review our approach.”

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David Norris and Gary Dobson were given life sentences for the murder in 2012. Three other suspects, Luke Knight and brothers Neil and Jamie Acourt, have not been convicted of the crime.

In an interview with the BBC, in a personal message to the Met commissioner, Baroness Lawrence said: "There's still three suspects out there and I'm sure there's witnesses that probably could help them if they're interested. If you don't go and look, you're never going to find anything."

The murder of Stephen Lawrence prompted a landmark public inquiry which concluded in 1998 that the  Met was “institutionally racist”.