A call to the BBC's Crimewatch programme has raised fresh hopes of a breakthrough in the investigation into the murder of black teenager Stephen Lawrence.

Police have confirmed they received "very useful" information from a caller who rang in hours after a televised appeal for more information on the teenager's killers.

Speaking on last week's programme, Deputy Assistant Commissioner John Grieve warned: "We now have fresh information and I will be back."

He later told the Evening Standard: "The programme immediately generated a call from someone of great value and interest to us.

"The call is a very useful one."

Five suspects

No one has been convicted of the murder of Mr Lawrence, 18, who was fatally stabbed by white youths at a bus stop in south-east London in April 1993.

An inquiry into the police investigation into the murder - headed by Sir William Macpherson - found that "institutional racism" and police incompetence wrecked the chances of securing justice in the case.

Three suspects in the murder case - Neil Acourt, Gary Dobson and Luke Knight - were cleared of murder at the Old Bailey in 1996. They cannot be prosecuted again for the same offence.

Proceedings against two further suspects - David Norris and Jamie Acourt - were dropped at an early stage.

New charges

But Mr Grieve said the possibility remained that further new charges could be brought relating to the circumstances surrounding the murder.

He also said charges could be brought against those who were involved in the assault on Duwayne Brooks, who was with Mr Lawrence when he was fatally stabbed.

He added: "I do not hold the view that it is impossible legally to prosecute people with events connected to the night of Stephen's death and the surrounding circumstances."

Mr Grieve confirmed that the caller was not anonymous, but refused to give further details.