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Wednesday, 1 March, 2000, 21:46 GMT

Straw to examine double hanging

Home Secretary Jack Straw is to look into the deaths of two black men found hanged within six months of each other, after relatives said police failed to investigate the deaths properly.

Relatives of doorman Harold "Errol" McGowan, 34, and his nephew Jason, 20, believe their deaths were racially motivated killings, following a campaign of racial harassment in Telford, Shropshire.

I am going away with a positive outlook both with John Grieve and Jack Straw
Sinead McGowan

They met Mr Straw and the head of the Metropolitan Police's Racial and Violent Crime Task Force, John Grieves, on Wednesday to discuss the cases.

Solicitor Errol Robinson, acting for Errol McGowan, said: "We made a powerful case to the home secretary for the investigation to be removed from West Mercia and undertaken by the Metropolitan Police's Racial and Violent Crime Task Force."

The lawyer added: "The home secretary listened carefully and has indicated that he will consider the matter with great care and consult others." Harold McGowan

Solicitor Imran Khan, acting for Jason McGowan added: "We have viewed this meeting in a positive light. John Grieves has said he was 'willing and able' to investigate the deaths and the home secretary has been informed of his involvement."

He said they expected Mr Straw to make a decision on the matter shortly, possibly within a fortnight and was "hopeful" about the outcome of the meeting.

A spokesman for West Mercia Police said it welcomed the support of the Met task force in relation to the ongoing inquiry into the deaths, launched on 1 February.

Harold McGowan was found dead on 2 July last year and his nephew Jason was found hanging from railings on New Year's Day.

Families hope

Jason's widow Sinead thanked Jack Straw for agreeing to the meeting and said: "I am going away with a positive outlook both with John Grieve and Jack Straw."

Errol's brother Noel also said he was satisfied with the outcome of the meeting and said he wanted to get to the bottom of the deaths of the two men.

The Home Office said: "Mr Straw listened closely to concerns about the tragic deaths of Harold and Jason McGowan, and expressed his sympathy to the family.

"He said that he would consider carefully what was said and would communicate in due course with the families, their legal representatives and MPs."

However, not all relatives believe that the men's deaths were suspicious.

Robert King, the father of Jason McGowan, has said his son took his own life and urged an end to "lies and rumours" that he was killed by racists.

Related to this story:
Met advises 'race crime' detectives (28 Jan 00 | UK)
Racists 'threatened hanged men' (25 Jan 00 | UK)
Mansfield QC: Protect civil rights (06 Oct 98 | UK)
Combat 18's hardline racism (24 Apr 99 | UK)

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