Tyrone Clark murder suspect Qasim Majid given new UK passport

Tyrone Clarke was attacked and killed in Beeston, Leeds, in 2004

A mother whose son was murdered has criticised police after it emerged a suspect who went to Pakistan was given a new UK passport.

Tyrone Clarke, 16, was stabbed to death in Beeston, Leeds, in April 2004.

His mother Lorraine Fraser was told Qasim Majid got a passport through a British embassy because his status as a suspect was not on a database.

Police said they did not tell passport officials he was a suspect because they did not think he could be extradited.

A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said: "Mr Majid left the UK for Pakistan days after Tyrone's murder and intelligence suggests he has remained there ever since.

"An international arrest warrant was not sought at the time.

"The belief then was that there was no realistic prospect of getting him extradited back to the UK. I am hoping that position has been improved upon."

'Fobbed off'

The UK Passport Office said: "We rely on law enforcement agencies to advise us of any information that would prevent an individual from being entitled to a passport."

Ms Fraser said: "I've been fobbed off for 10 years.

"I was led [by police] to believe that his [Mr Majid's] passport had been stopped, that he would flag up [show as a wanted person], no matter where.

"I rang the murder investigation team and asked them to check Qasim Majid's passport - does he have a dual passport? Does he have a British passport? Has it run out?

"They called back saying his passport wasn't stopped and it doesn't flag up."

Four men were convicted of the teenager's murder, at Leeds Crown Court in 2005.

All four lost appeals against their convictions, in February 2007.