By DAVE TOOMER FRIENDS of murdered former Bolton school teacher Pc Patrick Dunne have reacted with fury to news that the team investigating his killing has been disbanded. The Crown Prosecution Service has abandoned the case after a three year investigation by police who believe they know who the killer is. After considering reports submitted by the six-man police investigation team, the CPS has decided there is not enough evidence to proceed with a prosecution which they they believe would be too costly.

PC Dunne, who taught maths for 15 years at Deane school before joining the Metropolitan Police, was gunned down while he attended at routine call to a burglary at a house in Clapham, London.

The popular police officer was leaving the house shortly after the murder of a drug-dealer at an address opposite. Seeing the police uniform, a gunman who was fleeing from the house shot the policeman.

There followed a massive investigation which lasted 1,000 days in which officers spoke to 6,700 people and took more than 11,000 statements.

Three men were charged in connection with the murder in November 1993 and had the charges dropped but the police vowed to carry on with the investigation until they found the killers.

Police gathered a wealth of evidence linking the killing with a man who is currently serving an eight year prison sentence for a brutal road rage gun attack.

But today a spokesman for New Scotland Yard confirmed that legal experts advised the CPS and the Metropolitan Police that there was insufficient evidence to secure a conviction.

As a result the dedicated murder team has now been disbanded, though police have stressed that the investigation has not been abandoned and are still appealing to the public for information.

Science teacher, Fred Tyldesley, who was a close friend of Patrick said: "The family must be absolutely devastated by this but I'm sure they will not let it rest there. It is an outrage and as a friend of Patrick I am very angry about this.

"Apparently there was a financial consideration in this. But what about all the money spent on the Maxwell?"

Former colleague Dinah Hill, who also taught with Patrick, added: "It is an shameful that they should go so far and stop it now and it is an insult to the detectives who have put so much into this."

In a statement issued on behalf of Patrick's family his brother, Ivan said: "We are disappointed and very upset for the team of detectives who have worked so hard and would ask anyone with information about the murders to contact the police."

Patrick died serving the community and we would ask the community to now help the police."

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