Hugh Quarshie, who recently starred in the BBC's A Respectable Trade, will play Stephen's father Neville in the The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence, which is about to begin production.

Stephen Lawrence: Inquiry into his death goes on

Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death in Eltham, south east London, in April 1993 but his killers have never been brought to justice.

An inquiry into "matters arising" from his death began last year on the orders of Home Secretary Jack Straw, and hearings are still being held in racially sensitive areas around the country.

The Lawrence family has campaigned since the murder to bring the killers to trial and expose weaknesses in the criminal justice system.

The Murder Of Stephen Lawrence will also star Kenneth Cranham as the family's barrister Michael Mansfield QC and David Calder as Metropolitan Police Commissioner, Sir Paul Condon.

The two-hour-long drama will be filmed on location in London and Jamaica by Granada Television and Vanson Productions, and will be screened on ITV early next year.

Producer Mark Redhead said: "The death of a child is the most terrible tragedy any parent can face. The Lawrences' agony was compounded by disastrous failures of the police investigation.