Police officer allegedly holidayed with suspects arrested over racist attack

Exclusive: New claims come on 25th anniversary of death of Jay Abatan, who was assaulted in Brighton in 1999

Officers in a police force that bungled the investigation into a suspected racist killing, allegedly went on holiday, dined and partied with suspects arrested over the attack, the Guardian has learned.

The new claims come on the 25th anniversary of the death of Jay Abatan, 42, who was attacked outside a Brighton nightclub in January 1999.

reduced the number of officers on the investigation after Jay died;

potentially missed many" witnesses;

wrongly said one witness saw nothing when in fact they did and had been so close that they had called an ambulance for Jay;

failed to investigate the suspects and their potential links and history;

failed to interview one witness for over a year. When the interview finally took place, the witness was able to name 11 other people present at the scene.

Police said anyone with information can contact them quoting Operation Dorchester, or Crimestoppers, which is independent of the police, on 0800 555 111.