Detectives involved in the original investigation into the murder of Stephen Lawrence in Eltham will not be prosecuted. 

The decision not to bring charges against four Metropolitan Police officers involved in the case was upheld by the Crown Prosecution Service after an “extensive review”. 

Stephen was 18-years-old when he was murdered by a racist gang on Well Hall Road in April 1993. 

He was running to catch a bus with his friend, Duwayne Brooks, when a group of six white youths attacked him. 

Only two of his killers – Gary Dobson and David Norris – have ever been brought to justice. 

The CPS decision not to charge the officers was reviewed under the Victims’ Right to Review scheme which reconsidered whether they had committed offences of misconduct in public office. 

The CPS said it understands the news will be “extremely disappointing for Stephen’s family and friends”. 

In April, Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley apologised to Mr Lawrence’s mother, Baroness (Doreen) Lawrence, for not fulfilling a promise to answer questions stemming from a BBC investigation into the teenager’s murder. 

The Macpherson Report, published in 1999 following a public inquiry, found that the original investigation into Mr Lawrence’s death was hampered by institutional racism in the London police force. 

Rosemary Ainslie, head of the CPS’s Special Crime Division, said: “The unprovoked and racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 shocked the nation, and had a vast impact on the criminal justice system in the years that followed. 

“Significant changes were made to policy and legislation in the wake of Stephen’s death, and in 2012 the CPS was able to successfully prosecute two men for his murder – Gary Dobson and David Norris – due to a change in double jeopardy laws. 

“Following our decision in July 2023 not to bring criminal charges against four police officers involved in the initial six weeks of the investigation into Stephen’s murder, we received a request to review the decision under the Victims’ Right to Review (VRR) scheme. 

“An extensive review of that decision, which involved an independent prosecutor re-examining a substantial amount of evidence and material in the case, has now been completed. 

“Offences of misconduct in public office were reconsidered, but the review upheld the original decision not to bring any criminal charges against the four officers in the case. 

“We understand this news will be extremely disappointing for Stephen’s family and friends, and the CPS has offered to meet with close family members to explain our reasoning in further detail.”