More photos of Mr. Menezes show him as decidedly light skinned - he had dark curly hair, and to me he looks Welsh. A fair few Italians settled in Wales and although their olive skin shade has not survived the dark hair and eyes have. Not all skin colouring is determined genetically.

Tony Blair on the other hand is decidedly dark at the moment. Propaganda paint-on fake tan perhaps?

It seems some don't realise how cosmopolitan a place London is - if everyone even slightly dark skinned was a suspect to be detained then very little proper policing would get done.

Britain has never been a nation of uniformly pale skinned fair haired people. Racism here in the UK is based more an accent, dress and vulnerability than any truelly genetic component.

After all the reports since the event I still don't understand why someone would run into a London tube station when challenged by police. After the events of this month it does not make sense.

A newpaper seller outside the station is reported as having seen Mr Menezes running from police who were identifying themselves and telling him to stop.

Was there some reason for him to run?

Can anyone put forward a sensible reason why a person legally living and working in the UK, and going about his normal business should be terrified out of logical thought and behaviour by being told to stop by the police?

Anne