Four on detective murder charge

Daniel Morgan, who died in March 1987, was a father of two

Four men have been charged with the murder of a private investigator who was found with an axe in his head in a London pub car park 21 years ago.

Daniel Morgan, 37, from Monmouthshire, was found dead in Sydenham in 1987.

William John Rees, 53, and James Cook, 53, both from Surrey; Garry Vian, 47, of no fixed address, and Glen Vian, 49, of South Croydon are due in court.

Ex-Metropolitan Police detective Sidney Fillery, 61, has been charged with perverting the course of justice.

The men will appear at City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on Thursday.

Mr Rees is Mr Morgan's former business partner, while Garry Vian and Glen Vian are brothers.

A sixth man, a serving Pc arrested on suspicion of misconduct in a public office, was released on bail on Tuesday.

He is believed to be 24-year-old Pc Dean Vian, the son of Garry Vian. Scotland Yard said the detention was not connected to Mr Morgan's murder, but to recent events linked to the other five arrests.

Mr Morgan, who was originally from the village of Llanfrechfa, jointly ran a security firm called Southern Investigations which employed off-duty police officers.

His body was found at the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham on 10 March, 1987.

'Crucial witnesses'

Mr Morgan's mother Isobel Hulsmann, from Hay-on-Wye, Powys, and his brother Alastair, from London, have campaigned for justice ever since.

The Metropolitan Police say they believe Mr Morgan was killed because he was about to expose a drugs conspiracy linked to police corruption.

There have been five police investigations, but no-one has been convicted of his murder.

In a statement, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said the case was last reviewed in 2003 but at that time it was not possible to advise prosecution.

It said a file from the most recent investigation was received in June 2007 and reviewed by the service's special casework team.

Reviewing lawyer Stuart Sampson said: "There has been a great deal of speculation in relation to this killing but it is only recently that crucial witnesses have come forward to assist a prosecution.

"The CPS and police have been working together in order to ensure that there is a case which can be put before a jury with a realistic prospect of conviction."