New leads in Stephen Lawrence murder probe

The news comes as Scotland Yard denied reports that it intended to disband the Lawrence investigation team as part of budget cuts.

Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, were given life sentences at the Old Bailey yesterday for the racist murder of Mr Lawrence nearly 19 years ago.

Mr Justice Treacy urged police not to "close the file" on catching the rest of his killers, and Metropolitan Police Commissioner Bernard Hogan-Howe said the remaining culprits "should not rest easily in their beds".

The court has heard that a gang of five or six white youths set upon the A-level student in Eltham, in 1993.

Dobson, who is already serving a five-year sentence for drug-dealing, was sentenced to at least 15 years and two months.

Norris was given a minimum of 14 years and three months for the murder, which the judge said was a "terrible and evil crime".

A spokesman for the Met said later, police are looking into information they had received since the pair were convicted on Tuesday.

He said: "We can confirm that we have received a number of telephone calls in light of the verdicts and sentencing. This information will be evaluated."

Detective Chief Inspector Clive Driscoll, who has been the senior officer in the case for a number of years, told BBC News that officers would be visiting Dobson and Norris in prison to see whether they would be willing to assist the inquiry and, he said he remains "optimistic" about further progress being made in the case.

He also told the Press Association that there had been five calls from members of the public during the trial. "We are looking at that to the best of our abilities. People will always phone in when you get this type of case," he said.

People have continued to lay flowers at the teenager’s Well Hall Road memorial over the past few days.

One read: "You will never be forgotten by all the decent people of Eltham."