The five suspects in the racially motivated murder of Stephen Lawrence could be rearrested after a “breathtaking” forensic breakthrough, it emerged last night.

New techniques by a team of experts working in secret are believed to have uncovered fresh evidence.

Fibres from the clothes worn by the black 18-year-old are said to have matched those found on garments thought to have been worn by the suspects at the time of the attack. The A level student was fatally stabbed at a bus stop near to his home in Eltham, southeast London in April, 1993.

An inquest in 1997 ruled that he had been “unlawfully killed in a completely unprovoked racist attack by five white youths”. Soon after Stephen’s death Neil Acourt and his brother Jamie, David Norris, Gary Dobson and Luke Knight were arrested in connection with the murder.

In 1996, Mr Dobson, 32, Mr Acourt, 32, and Mr Knight, 31, were acquitted of murder after a private prosecution brought by the Lawrence family collapsed.

All five have consistently denied the allegations made against them.

A reinvestigation was begun in February 1999, but this also led to no charges being brought. However, two years ago the double jeopardy law which banned suspects from being tried twice was scrapped, and now those suspects earlier cleared of the murder could be put in the dock once again.

The Daily Mail last night reported that an independent team working in a secret South London location had used techniques refined in the Damilola Taylor case.

The experts examined hundreds of exhibits including the clothes worn by Stephen on the night of his death and garments believed to have been worn by the five suspects that day.

It is also thought that a sixth youth was involved during the attack.

When Stephen’s father, Neville, who split from his wife, Doreen, and is currently living in Jamaica, was contacted by the newspaper he insisted that he believed his son’s killers would one day be caught.

“Oh my God!,” he said when told of the new development. “This sounds good. I’ve been waiting for 14 years, so I won’t get my hopes up yet, but it sounds fantastic news.

“I have never given up hope. I thought those boys would get their comeuppance one day.

“We have tried many times before, as you know, but if we manage to get justice for Stephen this time, it would make me really, really happy. It’s the very least that my lovely son deserves.”

Scotland Yard regularly review all unsolved cases and the death of Stephen in 1993 has never been closed. Officers are now trying to trace anyone who may have had contact with him to come forward.

A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “The enquiry into the death of Stephen Lawrence is the subject of regular reviews as is the case with all unsolved murders. It has never been closed.

“All unsolved homicides undergo regular structured reviews, including of forensics. An opportunity to see if the forensic work can be re-visited in the light of new technology is standard practice and is being adopted in the murder of Stephen Lawrence.

“As the result of a forensic opportunity coming to light new DNA samples are being taken from individuals who may have come into contact with Stephen at the time, or prior to his death, such as his family, police officers, ambulance and medical staff. The samples will be used to eliminate their DNA.

“Since 1993 when Stephen was murdered we recognise that those that came into contact with him at the time may well now live at different addresses. We would urge anyone who came into contact with Stephen at the time of his death or immediately prior to contact the incident room on 020 7230 5117 with their current contact details so that they can assist police in eliminating their DNA.”

He added that he was not able to go into further details about any developments for operational reasons.

The investigations into the case have cost about £30 million.

The Metropolitan Police investigation which followed his death led to an inquiry which found the force was guilty of “institutional racism”.

The inquiry, which put the police and British justice system on public trial, was set up by Jack Straw, then Home Secretary.

Earlier the five suspects had been fiercely criticised for sneering in the witness box as they refused to answer questions that might incriminate them.

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