The Metropolitan Police said Matthew White was arrested twice over the 18-year-old's killing, but on both occasions there was not enough evidence for a prosecution.

Mr Lawrence was murdered in a racist attack while waiting for a bus in Eltham on 22 April 1993.

Five men were arrested over the murder, but just two of his suspected killers - David Norris and Gary Dobson - were jailed, with three never prosecuted.

Both were given life sentences in 2012 after being found guilty of murder.

The bungled original investigation hampered by racism and alleged police corruption meant it took nearly 20 years for the convictions.

Trial judge Mr Justice Treacy said at the time: "On the evidence before the court, there are still three or four other killers of Stephen Lawrence at large."

The identification of sixth suspect White, who died aged 50 in 2021, comes after a BBC investigation which claimed he had a central role in the case.

He was first arrested over the murder in March 2000 and again in December 2013 but, on both occasions, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) advised there was no realistic prospect of conviction for any offence, the Met said.

In a statement, Deputy Assistant Commissioner Matt Ward apologised for mistakes officers made during the original police investigation.

He said: "The impact of the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and subsequent inquiries continues to be felt throughout policing.

"Unfortunately, too many mistakes were made in the initial investigation and the impact of them continues to be seen."

'Shocking but unsurprising'

Stephen's mother, Baroness Lawrence, said the latest revelation was "shocking but unsurprising" given the Met's repeated failings in the case.

"It should not have taken a journalist to do the job that a huge, highly resourced institution should have done. It simply beggars belief that those paid to do a job continue failing to do it," she said.

Baroness Lawrence added: "The failure to properly investigate a main suspect in a murder case is so grave that it should be met by serious sanctions."

White was first brought up in the investigation in May 1993 when he told officers he had visited the homes of two other suspects on the night of the murder, Scotland Yard said.

Between March and April 2000 White was arrested and interviewed under caution after new information was received from a new witness but denied any involvement in the murder.

In May 2005, prosecutors advised there was no realistic prospect of conviction of White for any offence.

Following the convictions of Norris and Dobson, a seven-year post-conviction investigation was launched.

In 2013 it was discovered that a Met officer who was not involved in the investigation team sent a message about a relative of White who may hold information in 1993.

The relative was not named and was misidentified in what the Met called a "significant and regrettable error".

It was not until 2013 the relative was correctly identified and new information was obtained.

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The Met said White was arrested for a second time in December 2013 based on the new information but in October 2014 a further CPS advice file found that no further action should be taken.

In February 2020, White was seen and spoken to again but there was insufficient witness or forensic evidence to progress any further before he died in August 2021.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) announced in 2020 that, following an investigation launched in 2014, they had submitted a file of evidence to the CPS to consider whether four former police officers who were in senior roles at various times during the opening weeks of the murder investigation may have committed criminal offences of misconduct in public office.

A major review of the Met Police found in March that it is institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic in the wake of a series of scandals including the murder of Sarah Everard by serving officer Wayne Couzens, and Pc David Carrick being unmasked as a serial rapist.

This echoed the 1999 Macpherson Report on the murder of Mr Lawrence which originally branded the force institutionally racist over its handling of the case.

In May 2023, the Met commissioned a routine forensic review of key exhibits to consider whether new scientific processes may advance the case.