Damilola burial due next week

Damilola's body was released after a second post-mortem

The funeral of schoolboy Damilola Taylor is due to take place next week after his body was released for burial, the Metropolitan Police has revealed.

The 10-year-old bled to death after being stabbed on his way home from an after-school computer class in a Peckham library on 27 November.

A police spokesman said the decision to release the body was taken by the Southwark coroner after a second post-mortem reached the same findings as the first.

The new examination at Greenwich Mortuary on 4 January also found that the youngster died from a stab wound to the leg.

Private service

It is now expected that Damilola's body will be buried at a private service on Thursday of next week in south London.

A private service would contrast with the emotional memorial service held at the Taylor family's local church less than a fortnight after the schoolboy's death.

Then, local people heard a tearful appeal from Home Office Minister Paul Boateng for members of the public to help the police investigation.

Freed on police bail

Meanwhile, two boys arrested on Tuesday in connection with the schoolboy's death were later released on police bail.

The boys - aged 13 and 14 - are due to return to a south London police station on a date in February, police said.

An address in Southwark had also been searched.

Damilola died soon after arriving from his native Nigeria.

His mother believed he was being bullied at school.

Massive investigation

The investigation into his death is one of the biggest London has seen since the Jill Dando case.

Police have made a number of appeals for help in tracing three boys who were seen near to a stairwell where Damilola collapsed on a north Peckham estate.

Detectives have used a diverse range of methods to encourage witnesses to come forward, including projecting a 30ft image of the schoolboy onto a nightclub close to where he died.

Officers also appealed for a witness to come forward after he rang Crimestoppers in Scotland to say he had seen three black youths arguing with Damilola on the afternoon of his death.