Police officers called to the scene of Henry Nowak's murder are still being treated as witnesses by the police watchdog.

The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) launched an investigation into the actions of Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary following his death.

Its director Derrick Campbell acknowledges that the case "has raised questions about the actions of the attending officers and we are aware that a few minutes of police body-worn footage has been issued by the force following the conclusion of criminal proceedings".

He explains that as part of its ongoing investigation the IOPC is reviewing "a large amount of police body-worn footage" and that it needs to "consider it in context with other evidence" obtained.

This includes reviewing material presented during the murder trial, Campbell adds.

Image source, PA Media

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has described Henry Nowak's murder as an "awful, shocking case".

"Henry’s loved ones have gone through the trauma of a long trial and endured Henry's killer making up appalling claims about their son who was thoughtful, kind and deeply loved," he wrote in a post on X on Monday.

The PM says it is right that the Independent Office for Police Conduct is investigating the police response to the death.

Meanwhile, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage says that people should respond to Henry Nowak's death in "pure cold rage", and it is evidence of a "two-tier culture".

Farage praises Henry's family for responding to the case in "the most extraordinarily dignified way".

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch told ITV's Good Morning Britain that the case shows "something has gone horribly wrong with policing" and there has been an overcorrection since the murder of George Floyd in the US in 2020.

She accused Farage of deepening divisions and says that "everyone should matter" and that "Henry Nowak matters".

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has also weighed in, andsays it is hard to imagine the "enormous pain and grief" that Henry Nowak's family are facing.

"This was an evil murder made so much worse by the police response," he says, backing calls for an independent investigation.

Attorney general Richard Hermer KC is considering the sentence given to Vickrum Digwa after receiving “multiple requests" to review it under the unduly lenient sentence (ULS) scheme.

Law officers have 28 days from sentencing to "carefully consider the case and make a decision", says a spokesman for Lord Hermer's office.

Digwa was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 21 years for the murder of Henry Nowak.

If the attorney general decides the sentence should be reconsidered an application for review would be made to the Court of Appeal.

The court only accepts such reviews when it determines a sentence is outside what could reasonably be considered appropriate for the crime, and the case is considered exceptional.

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The police and crime commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight says it is "devastating" that officers did not believe Henry Nowak when he said he had been stabbed and couldn't breathe.

In a statement, Donna Jones details that "when officers realised he was gravely wounded, they uncuffed him and started CPR".

Jones acknowledges how "the details of the police response raises serious concerns about police impartiality, fairness and judgement".

She says she will write to the PM to request a national review of the laws "concerning the carrying of bladed articles under religious exemptions".

Speaking outside court after Vickrum Digwa's sentencing on Monday, the family of Henry Nowak called for a "full, fearless and transparent investigation" into his death.

"We do not want his death to be used to create further division, hatred, or tension," his father Mark Nowak said. "We want his story to make our streets safer for everyone".

He paid tribute to his son as "one of the kindest, friendliest, and most inclusive people you could ever hope to meet. He was amazing in every way".

Mark Nowak added that Henry "should not have died on the streets of Southampton in police custody".

"Instead of being treated as a dying victim, police formally arrested Henry and read him his rights. That was the last thing he heard," he said.

"Henry did not die with dignity, he did not die with the care he deserved."

Bodycam footage released by Hampshire Police shows police officers handcuffing Henry Nowak as he lay dying at the scene.

The footage, released with the family's permission, appears to show officers speaking to Vickrum Digwa and others.

Officers then turn to Nowak, who can be heard repeating "I've been stabbed", and grunts while he is made to sit up to be handcuffed.

The officer can be heard asking: "You've been stabbed, whereabouts?" before adding: "Don't think you have, mate."

He told officers "I can't breathe" nine times, his father has said.

Image source, PA Media

Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood is due to give a statement at 13:15 on the murder of Henry Nowak.

Footage released on Monday showed police officers putting Nowak in handcuffs as he died, despite him saying he had been stabbed and couldn't breathe.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has commented in a post on X, external, saying it was an "awful, shocking case".

"We must end the cycle of tragedy by tackling the horror of knife crime," he added.

Digwa's family have apologised to Nowak's family and for bringing the Sikh Community into "disrepute".

In a statement issued through Sikh PA, a charity seeking to represent the Sikh community in the media, the unnamed family members said: "We are deeply sorry for the pain and suffering the Nowak family has had to endure.

"We love Vickrum. We will continue to love him. That love does not stand in opposition to the sorrow we feel for the Nowak family. Both are real, and both will remain with us for the rest of our lives."

The statement added: "We ask that this tragedy is not used by anyone to inflame division or hostility towards any community."

Kiran Kaur, Digwa's mother, awaits sentencing for assisting an offender by taking the knife used to kill Henry Nowak back to the nearby family home.

Image source, Hampshire police

Vickrum Digwa was yesterday sentenced to life in prison, for a minimum of 21 years, for using a 21cm (8in) blade to stab 18-year-old Henry Nowak.

Digwa had lied to police about being the victim of a racist attack and officers arrested and handcuffed Nowak as he lay dying on the ground after the stabbing in Southampton in December.

The student's family have called his treatment by police "inhumane and degrading". Hampshire police has apologised.

We are continuing to follow the reaction today.