E&S comment: Officers cleared but still no justice for victims or families

This is in addition to a further five who were given the same decision earlier this year.

While they will no doubt be pleased to have been cleared, it poses an important question: What now?

For a start there is still the wait for the Independent Police Complaints Commission to decide on whether or not officers have any case to answer for misconduct or gross misconduct.

At the heart of this, however, is the original terrible crime and its victim.

Amateur footballer and suspected drug dealer Nunes was found dead in a country lane in Pattingham after being shot five times in a gangland killing in 2002.

Six years later, five men were convicted of his murder and jailed.

But they were cleared on appeal following damning revelations about the investigation.

And now, 12 years on from that murder we are almost back to square one.

The public purse has covered the vast costs of the original investigation, the prosecution, the appeal and the investigation into the investigation.

It is absolutely right and proper that men and officers innocent in the eyes of the law emerge from this without criminal charges.

But somewhere out there, someone knows what really happened to Kevin Nunes.

The manner of his killing was shocking and whoever was responsible is extremely dangerous.

They may well still be at large.

Nunes may not have been a model citizen but he is no less deserving of justice for that.

He left a family who remain in the dark over who took his life.

The public has to be able to have faith in British justice.

Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the Birmingham pub bombings which slaughtered 21 innocent people.

After spending 16 years in prison the original suspects were also freed after their convictions quashed.

The culprits in this terrible crime have never been found either.

Whether it is one man or 21, it is unsettling to think that there are people capable of such violence and wickedness as to take another person's life who have not answered for their crimes in court.

If Staffordshire Police are on the verge of settling this matter as far its own practices are concerned that is all well and good.

But its officers must not rest until the killers of Kevin Nunes are brought to justice.