Three men arrested by police recently in connection with the racist murder of teenager Stephen Lawrence seven years ago were released last night on police bail.
One man was arrested in London early yesterday and, following a joint operation between the Metropolitan Police and the Scottish Crime Squad, a 24-year-old man was arrested in Glasgow on Tuesday night. Another man was arrested in south-east London on Tuesday. They were held at a police station in south London and two of the men may be known to the five prime suspects in the murder.
The first two arrests, described as "significant", came as Stephen Lawrence's parents and the head of the Metropolitan Police racial and violent crimes task force, a deputy assistant commissioner, Mr John Grieve, made an appeal for more information about the murder on the BBC programme, Crimewatch.
Mrs Doreen Lawrence urged the mothers and girlfriends of the men responsible for her son's murder to come forward. She said she was told that one girl had heard about her son's murder from a male friend and Mrs Lawrence asked her to pass the information to the police. A Scotland Yard spokesman said telephone calls to the programme were "extremely useful" and Mr Grieve said the police were "very close" to identifying a significant witness with blond hair. The witness could be male or female.
Meanwhile, 100 people were arrested and 16 charged yesterday in police raids across London targeting suspected racists. The raids, which began at 6.30 a.m., were the result of information gathered by community safety units and were led by detectives from Scotland Yard. One suspect was arrested after police officers discovered racist letters at an address.
The head of the operation, Det. Chief Supt John Godsave, described the successful outcome of the raids as "brilliant". However he said he did not believe the arrests were linked to those earlier in connection with the Lawrence inquiry.