Lawrence friend on a mission to calm riot tension

Stephen Lawrence's best friend appealed for calm and strove to defuse racial tensions in London at the height of the summer riots, it was revealed today.

Duwayne Brooks, 37, made it his personal mission to halt rumours that were spreading panic and inciting hatred.

The Lewisham Lib-Dem councillor put his personal mobile number on the internet for people scared by the unrest in their area last August.

As thousands took to Twitter to report acts of violence in Lewisham and also in Eltham, where Stephen, 18, was stabbed to death in an attack by a gang of racist white youths in 1993, Mr Brooks tried to scotch false rumours that white extremist groups had become involved.

He asked Londoners to refrain from re-tweeting incidents they could not personally verify, replied to enquiries and appeals, tried repeatedly to end speculation about the racial demographic of rioters, and to quash false rumours about National Front, English Defence League and BNP members descending on Lewisham.

Mr Brooks, the only witness to Stephen's murder, said this week that true justice for his friend would only be achieved once all of his alleged killers are convicted. The jailing of Gary Dobson, 36, and David Norris, 35, last week for the killing was just a "partial victory".