Boy released on bail in Damilola hunt

More than a dozen teenagers have been held so far

A 15-year-old boy arrested in connection with the murder of 10-year-old Damilola Taylor has been released on bail to return a police station in London in January.

It is the latest development in the month-long police investigation into the murder of Nigerian-born Damilola, who was stabbed in the leg as he walked home from an after-school computer class.

Three 15-year-olds being questioned in connection with the death were released on bail last Saturday.

They were the last of 11 children initially arrested last Thursday.

The high-profile case received more attention on Thursday when it emerged that a police officer who worked as a schools liaison officer in the area was about to lose his role shortly before the 10-year-old was murdered.

Pc Ian Wright worked to improve relations between police and pupils in Peckham and Camberwell, and head teachers were furious when the Metropolitan Police announced last month that his post would be withdrawn.

Seconded

Scotland Yard said Pc Wright has instead been "seconded" to a team intended to tackle violent crime among young people.

The Police Federation said it was concerned that important work on building trust between officers and local youngsters would be seriously damaged by Pc Wright's move.

Pc Wright built up such a good relationship with the children

Glen Smyth, The Metropolitan Police Federation

The Metropolitan Police Federation chairman Glen Smyth said: "Pc Wright built up such a good relationship with the children that when they were told he was being withdrawn the head teachers of the schools wrote independently of each other saying they were desperate to keep him."

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the post had been re-advertised, although Pc Wright was also free to re-apply for the post, which he has held for 10 years.

The schools on Pc Wright's patch included the Oliver Goldsmith Primary School in Peckham, where Damilola had been a pupil.

Not enough police

Reacting to the news Home Office Minister Charles Clarke again acknowledged "there are not enough police" in London.

But he said that although police relations with primary schools were important "police contact with secondary schools should not be downgraded".

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "There is significant mapping of crime in secondary schools in Southwark" and police contact with older pupils was also key in dealing with issues such as vandalism, truancy and exclusions.

He added that it was important that police schools liaison officers developed links with secondary schools.