The copper, the Lawrence killer's father,

and secret police files that expose a 'corrupt relationship'

The failure of the original hunt for the killers of Stephen Lawrence will come under fresh scrutiny today following the emergence of secret Scotland Yard files which reveal police concerns about one of the officers involved in the inquiry.

The police intelligence reports, obtained by The Independent, outline extensive allegations of corruption against John Davidson, a lead detective investigating the racist murder. The files can be made public following the convictions in January, 19 years after the event, of Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35.

It can also be revealed that details of the officer's alleged criminality were held back from the public and the Lawrence family's legal team.

The Lawrence family last night demanded that the Metropolitan Police explain why it never showed them the files or revealed their existence. Doreen Lawrence said: "Had we known even a scintilla of this in the last 18 years, we would have been shouting it from the rafters."

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/the-copper-the-lawrence-killers-father-and-secret-police-files-that-expose-a-corrupt-relationship-7537762.html