Prison bosses 'showed little remorse' over racist murder

The family of an Asian teenager murdered by his racist cell-mate at Feltham Young Offender Institution today accused prison chiefs of showing "little remorse". Zahid Mubarek's relatives claimed an apology from the Prison Service had been " summary and insubstantial", while the Home Office had delayed the investigation in a deliberate policy of "damage limitation".

The family said there was a "real possibility" that Feltham warders played a game called "Gladiator", in which unsuitable cell-mates were deliberately put together in the hope that violence would break out.

The Mubareks, from Walthamstow, were making a final appeal for justice in their closing submission to a public inquiry into the murder. Robert Stewart is serving life for the killing in March 2000. He and Mr Mubarek were both aged 19 at the time of the attack.

The Prison Service admitted that Feltham was "institutionally racist" up to 2000. In his own closing submission, Nigel Giffen, counsel to the inquiry, said it was possible that the Gladiator game had been played by Feltham warders but said it was unconnected to Mr Mubarek's murder.