Stephen Lawrence police vent fury at BBC 'sensationalists'

Independent police watchdogs have found no evidence to substantiate claims in the BBC1 programme The Boys Who Killed Stephen Lawrence that a detective took a bribe to shield the black teenager's killers from justice.

And Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner John Yates – accused in the programme of being party to the cover-up – was said to be 'bloody furious' with the BBC after being exonerated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

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The IPCC findings – not yet published but seen by this newspaper – will add fuel to accusations that the BBC has substituted rigorous investigation for sensationalism.

Members of the BBC Trust, the Corporation's independent governors, have already expressed concern about two heavily criticised editions of Panorama, one on the Church of Scientology and the other on the health effects of wireless technology.

And in July the BBC was forced to apologise to the Queen for wrongly implying she had walked out on a photo-shoot, an embarrassing scandal that led on Friday to the resignation of BBC1 controller Peter Fincham. The controversial Lawrence documentary, screened in July last year, set out to explain the reasons behind the Met's failure to bring anyone to justice for the racist murder of Stephen, 18, in South-East London in 1993. BBC reporter Mark Daly claimed a 'bent copper' was paid to stall the inquiry by the gangster father of one of the five prime suspects.

Ex-policeman Neil Putnam, himself convicted of corruption, alleged that Detective Sergeant John Davidson took money from drugs baron Clifford Norris, father of suspect David Norris.

'Davidson told me that he was looking after Norris and that to me meant that he was protecting him and his family against arrest and any conviction,' Putnam told the BBC.

'From my conversation that I had with John Davidson on that day, I would say that he was receiving cash from Clifford Norris.'

Putnam also claimed he told the police team led by Mr Yates in 1998 that Davidson had a corrupt relationship with Norris, but they had 'suppressed' the information to the subsequent public inquiry by Sir William Macpherson.

Davidson now runs a bar in Menorca. He has consistently denied a corrupt relationship with either Clifford Norris or his son David.

The BBC stood by their allegations and the IPCC launched an investigation following a complaint by Stephen's mother Doreen. Now the year-long inquiry has concluded the BBC's claims were false.

The inquiry report states: 'The BBC raised a number of concerns about the original Stephen Lawrence murder investigation, the handling of information concerning potential corruption and the failure of the Metropolitan Police to advise the Stephen Lawrence inquiry of the corruption concerns in relation to a key witness.

'There is no evidence to support the allegations made during the programme. The Crown Prosecution Service file on why John Davidson was not prosecuted has been seen and suggests lack of corroborative evidence. His allegation is not substantiated.

'It is clear that the Met ensured the Macpherson Inquiry was aware of the emerging facts concerning allegations around John Davidson.'

Mr Yates, who has has always denied a cover-up, said he was unable to comment until the IPCC report is published. But a friend said: 'You can rest assured John is bloody furious.'

The BBC said: 'It was right for the BBC to carry out this investigation in the public interest. As the IPCC report is not yet published it would not be appropriate to speculate or comment on findings.' The IPCC declined to comment.