Lawyers consider Damilola charges

Damilola bled to death after being stabbed

Officers investigating the murder of Damilola Taylor have taken the first steps towards a prosecution.

The 10-year-old was stabbed and left to bleed to death in a stairwell in Peckham, south London six months ago.

Detectives working on the tragic case have now presented a file of evidence to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

It has been passed on to senior government lawyers, known as Treasury Counsel, who will sift through the complicated evidence.

Decision will take weeks

But it will be weeks before they make a recommendation, meaning there is no immediate prospect of arrests or formal charges.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said: "A file of evidence has been referred through the CPS to Treasury Counsel seeking views concerning prosecution.

"Counsel has advised that due to the complexity of this case no decision will be available for several weeks."

But police have refused to be drawn into speculation as to the identity of the suspects, fearing that any potential trial could be prejudiced.