Met poised to pay pounds 100,000 to Lawrences

SCOTLAND YARD is preparing to make an unprecedented ex gratia payment, believed to amount to pounds 100,000, to the parents of black student Stephen Lawrence to compensate them for its bungled investigation of his murder.

The Yard confirmed yesterday that discussions were taking place with lawyers for the Lawrence family, but refused to comment on the size of the payment.

Neville and Doreen Lawrence announced their intention to sue the police after the publication of Sir William Macpherson's damning report on the murder investigation in February.

Glen Smyth, chairman of the Metropolitan Police Federation, told BBC Radio yesterday that he thought the Lawrences might be given separate payments.

"I was aware that the Metropolitan Police were talking about a sum in the region of pounds 50,000 but I don't know if that was for each of them or together," he said.

Ros Howells, a friend of the Lawrence family, said that pounds 100,000 was little compared to what they had lost. "I am hoping the lawyers will be able to negotiate a more sensible sum," she said.

She added that the family had been forced to move house and sell their home for a low price. "One could never even begin to calculate the emotional stuff," she said. "You could never compensate anyone for the loss of a son."

News of the negotiations emerged as Gary Dobson, one of the five men suspected of murdering Stephen, took part in a radio phone-in.

Stung by the cynicism that greeted the gang's media debut last week, Dobson submitted himself to live questioning for two hours on Talk Radio yesterday morning.

During a grilling far tougher than the one he was given in his television interview with Martin Bashir last week, Dobson swore "on my mother's life" that he had not killed Stephen and said that he had had a black girlfriend for six months when he was 14.

But he refused to take a lie detector test, saying that it would not prove anything.

Numerous callers tried without success to needle Dobson into pointing the finger at the others. "My friends have gone through the same traumatic experience as I have," he said. "We stand by each other, all five of us, 100 per cent down the middle."

Asked by David, a listener from Manchester, whether he was intimidated by David Norris and two other suspects, Jamie and Neil Acourt, he replied: "Absolutely not. They're good friends of mine. Neil and I have been on holiday together with our girlfriends."

Callers included several former friends from Dobson's schooldays in Eltham, south-east London, including a young black man, Jermaine, who accused him of being an "undercover racist".

"Gary Dobson is a follower and he will follow the crowd," he said. "I remember him boasting about how he and his friends had attacked a boy in the area and how they cut off his ear."

Jermaine told Dobson: "I know that you never killed Stephen Lawrence, but I know for a fact that you do know who killed him."

Dobson - who revealed that he planned to write a book about his experiences - said he was not working, did not claim benefit and was supported by his parents.