Britain/International: Murder cop 'bent' over Lawrence trial; Lawyer calls for probe of television evidence.

Byline: By CAROLINE GAMMELL

THE barrister who represented Stephen Lawrence's family at the inquiry into his death said yesterday that allegations of police corruption could be "potentially extremely significant" to the unsolved case.

Michael Mansfield QC said the claims made in last night's BBC documentary should be pursued, either by the Independent Police Complaints Commission or the Metropolitan Police.

And he said Mr and Mrs Lawrence had accused the the police of racism and corruption from the start.

Stephen, an 18-year-old A-level student, was stabbed to death in an unprovoked race hate attack by a gang of five white youths in April 1993.

A bungled police investigation of the case followed.

No-one has been convicted of the killing but five men - Neil A court, his brother Jamie, David Norris, Gary Dobson and Luke Knight - were arrested soon after the event.

Three of the men were acquitted of murder after a private prosecution brought by the Lawrence family collapsed at the Old Bailey in 1996.

The BBC1 documentary The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence alleges that police corruption may have prevented Stephen's killers being brought to justice.

It interviews former corrupt detective turned whistleblower Neil Putnam who claims that former detective sergeant John Davidson, now running a bar in Spain, was paid by the father of one of the prime suspects to obstruct the case.

Mr Putnam said Mr Davidson was receiving a "nice little earner" from Clifford Norris, the gangland father of David Norris, to put him one step ahead of the investigation.

Mr Davidson has always denied this allegation.

Mr Mansfield said a new investigation should look at Mr Putnam's relationship with his "handlers" who used the super grass to convict other corrupt officers.

"The central allegation in the film is about the possibility that a critical figure, Davidson - in charge of outside inquiries, in charge of some of the information, in charge of interviewing witnesses - was in fact himself corrupt," he told BBC Breakfast.

"It should be pursued... It could be done by the IPCC or the Metropolitan Police themselves. Sir Ian Blair should think about that."

The Macpherson public inquiry into the first police investigation into Stephen's murder found inept detective work and "institutional racism" in the force.

An exhaustive reinvestiga-tion by Scotland Yard took five years but still failed to identify the killers.

Mr Mansfield said he was convinced that the case would be solved and cited the Birmingham Six who were freed after 16 years.

"I think the truth will out. Eventually it rises to the surface - people cannot keep a lid on it forever. I feel convinced at the end of the day, for the Lawrence family, they will get justice."

The BBC documentary sparked calls from Stephen's father, Neville, to re-investigate the case.

"It is very disturbing," he said. "But it shows that the issue of police corruption can no longer be ignored. It must now be investigated.

Stephen's mother, Doreen, has lodged a complaint regarding possible misconduct with the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

IPCC deputy chairman John Wad ham said: "There are two serious allegations in this film and we will be asking the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) to record the misconduct complaints.

"We would then expect the MPS to refer them back to the IPCC for us to decide how they are investigated.

"The IPCC has also received a formal complaint from Imran Khan and Partners on behalf of Mrs Doreen Lawrence about the allegations in the programme. This will be forwarded to the MPS, as is required by law."

Mrs Lawrence said: "I have had to sit through something as horrific as seeing Stephen's body and seeing how these boys are living their daily lives.

Her solicitor, Imran Khan, said: "The IPCC investigation is critical. If it uncovers corruption at the heart of the Lawrence investigation, it reopens the possibility of getting justice for the Lawrence family."

A Scotland Yard spokeswoman insisted there was no evidence to suggest that any corrupt individual tried to thwart the Stephen Lawrence investigation.

"If we had had such information, that would have been pursued," she said.

The mindset at that time, as now, was that corrupt officers should be exposed, she added.

CAPTION(S):

BBC reporter Mark Daly (left) confronts former Detective Sergeant John Davidson in Spain over allegations that he was involved in corruption in the Stephen Lawrence investigation. picture: bbc