Former cop arrested over South Norwood detective's 1987 killing

6:27pm Monday 21st April 2008

Five men have been arrested in connection with the murder of private detective Daniel Morgan including his ex-partner and a former police officer.

Former Detecive Sergeant Sid Fillery, who investigated Mr Morgan's murder, and former business partner Jonathan Rees from Weybridge are among those being held on suspicion of the pub car park killing in 1987.

"The one consistent theme throughout has been the astonishing determination of the Morgan family to ensure those responsible are brought to justice."

Assistant Commissioner John Yates

The other men currently being quizzed are Glenn Vian, 49, his brother Garry Vian, 47, and businessmen James Cook, 53.

Cook, lives in a property in Surrey while Garry Vian lives in Reigate, and his brother Glenn in Croydon.

A 24-year-old serving police constable, Dan Vian, was also arrested while at work in Southwark on suspicion of misconduct in a public office.

PC Vian, the son of suspect Garry Vian, is currently in custody at a central London police station and has been suspended pending further investigations.

Officers say his arrest is not directly linked to Mr Morgan's murder but related to other arrests in the case.

Mr Morgan was found dead in the car park of the Golden Lion pub in Sydenham on March 10, 1987.

The 37-year-old died after being repeatedly struck with an axe after meeting a business partner in the pub.

It is thought he was about to expose a south London drugs network which may have involved corrupt police officers.

The axe, which was still imbedded in Mr Morgan's head when his body was found, had two sticky plaster strips wrapped around the handle.

Mr Morgan's £900 Rolex watch was missing but the £1,100 cash he was carrying was still in his pocket.

A reinvestigation into the murder has been running for the last three years with 20 dedicated detectives working on it.

There is a £50,000 reward for information leading to a conviction.

Assistant Commissioner John Yates, in charge of the investigation, said: "It has been over 21 years since Daniel's murder. Since that tragic event there have been numerous investigations into his death none of which have been able to establish who was responsible."

"The one consistent theme throughout has been the astonishing determination of the Morgan family to ensure those responsible are brought to justice.

"The current investigation has shown that there are still people out there who have highly pertinent evidence about this case. The arrests today demonstrate the Met's continued determination to bring those responsible to justice.

"I also hope that these arrests are a reassurance to those in the community who also have information or evidence about what happened to Daniel.

"We have long said that within south London the identity of those responsible for the murder is one of the worst kept local secrets. I urge anyone with any information, however small, to get in touch with us."

Anyone with information about Daniel's killing should call the investigation team on 020 7230 5925 or Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

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