BRITAIN:The Metropolitan Police have confirmed they are investigating new forensic evidence in the case of race-hate murder victim Stephen Lawrence (18).
Ten years after it accused five men of murdering the black teenager, the Daily Mail broke the news that a "forensic opportunity" could soon see the five prime suspects rearrested.
"Will five face new trial?" it asked in a double-page spread reporting forensics experts using new techniques have made a "breakthrough" discovery of fibres from the murdered teenager's clothes on those thought to have been worn by the suspects.
Stephen was fatally stabbed by a group of white youths at a bus stop in Eltham, southeast London, on April 22nd, 1993, in a killing which shocked a nation and saw the Metropolitan Police accused of "institutional racism".
Then Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Paul Condon accepted the findings of the Macpherson inquiry, saying it had brought "shame" on his force in defining the term as "the collective failure of an organisation to provide an appropriate and professional service to people because of their colour, culture or ethnic origin".
While Macpherson forced massive reform and changed the face of policing, it seemed the killers might never be brought to justice following the failure of a private prosecution brought by Stephen's parents.
However, current Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair ordered a fresh examination by Scotland Yard's Specialist Crimes Directorate earlier this year.
When the Mail named the five suspects, it challenged Gary Dobson, Neil Acourt, Jamie Acourt, Luke Knight and David Norris to sue for libel to clear their names.
Mr Dobson, Mr Knight and Neil Acourt were acquitted of murder after the private prosecution, while the case against Mr Norris and Jamie Acourt collapsed before reaching court.