Stephen Lawrence murder: IPCC investigating former Met chief

Lord Stevens was Deputy Commissioner of the Met from 1998 to 2000 - while the Macpherson report was being compiled

Former Metropolitan Police chief Lord Stevens is being investigated by the police watchdog over information he gave to the inquiry into the Met's handling of the Stephen Lawrence murder case.

The IPCC confirmed it was investigating the evidence Lord Stevens gave to the Macpherson Inquiry in 1998.

The Met said it referred the matter to the IPCC following a public complaint.

Lord Stevens has previously denied any wrongdoing.

He was Deputy Commissioner of the Met from 1998 to 2000, while the Macpherson report - which found evidence of institutional racism within the force - was being compiled.

It was ordered following concerns about the force's investigation into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence, who was stabbed to death in an unprovoked attack by a gang of white youths in April 1993.

Stephen Lawrence was 18 when was he was killed in a racially-motivated attack

In a statement the Met said: "Following the receipt of a public complaint in relation to Lord John Stevens, former commissioner, the Metropolitan Police Service made a referral to the Independent Police Complaints Commission on 4 November 2014.

"The complaint has been made in relation to Lord Stevens' role as the then Deputy Commissioner and disclosure to the Macpherson Inquiry.

"This issue was raised in the Stephen Lawrence Independent Review by Mark Ellison QC, published on 6 March, where he concluded there were defects in the level of information that the MPS revealed to the Inquiry."

It took more than 18 years to bring two of Mr Lawrence's killers - Gary Dobson and David Norris - to justice. They were found guilty by a jury at the Old Bailey in January 2012, and given life sentences.

The pair had initially been arrested along with three other men in 1993, but prosecutors decided there was insufficient evidence to bring charges.

Then in 2007 the case was reviewed following a BBC documentary which raised fresh questions about the suspects. After using new forensic technology police charged Dobson and Norris with the murder in 2011.

Gary Dobson and David Norris were each jailed for more than 14 years