Black teenager murdered in racial attack in Liverpool, England

A black A-level student from Huyton, Merseyside, England has been murdered with an axe in what police have called a racist crime. He was 18 years old. Over 800 racist and religious hate incidents have been reported in London since July 7, a sharp increase from before the bombings.

A hooded white man in his 20s directed a torrent of racist abuse at Anthony Walker who was at a bus stop outside the Huyton Park pub where Walker waited with his white girlfriend and cousin.

The three walked away from the racial abuse without retaliating, but a gang of up to four white men caught up with them as they crossed McGoldrick Park. Mr. Walker's girlfriend and cousin ran to get help. When they returned, they found Mr. Walker on the ground with an axe embedded in his skull. He died at 0525 BST on Saturday 28 July 2005.

As of Monday, 1 August 2005, 05:00 GMT, Merseyside Police have arrested a 17-year-old white. They released an 18-year-old held on Sunday morning. They also want to question Paul Taylor and Michael Barton, brother of Manchester City midfielder Joey Barton, who they believe may have left the United Kingdom.

The story has sent shockwaves across the country, being the front-page story of The Independent and Daily Mirror on August 1st , and echoing the murder of Stephen Lawrence in 1993, also an 18-year-old black student.