The MP for Tottenham said his thoughts are with the family of PC Keith Blakelock after the man accused of his murder was cleared of all charges.

David Lammy said the trial of Nicky Jacobs, who was accused of murder, had proved to be “another period of false hope” for PC Blakelock’s wife Elizabeth and her sons.

Jacobs, 45, was yesterday found not guilty of murdering the officer during the Broadwater Farm Riots in Tottenham in October 1985.

PC Blakelock was attacked by an armed mob after his unit was deployed to protect firefighters tackling a blaze on the estate.

Jacobs, who was 16 at the time, has been on trial at the Old Bailey for the past six weeks accused of being one of the rioters who together stabbed the officer more than 40 times and tried to decapitate him.

In a statement yesterday afternoon, Mr Lammy said: "My thoughts are with the Blakelock family this afternoon.

“This trial has proved to be another period of false hope, and today is another day of disappointment in the family’s long quest for justice.

“Their deep desire to see those who killed their husband and their father held accountable endures with the passing of time, and it remains my sincere hope that they will one day see that justice served.

“The extent of the dignity and courage they have shown over the last 20 years is truly remarkable.”

Jacobs, who had denied murder, was the seventh person to be tried for the Blakelock killing.

The jury cleared him of murder and manslaughter after deliberating for six hours and 15 minutes.

Jacobs was charged last year after a multi-million pound reinvestigation by Scotland Yard.

Mr Lammy added: “My thoughts this afternoon are also with the family of Cynthia Jarrett, whose death precipitated the Broadwater Farm riots of 1985.

“Given the fact that previous convictions for the murder of PC Blakelock were overturned on appeal, I had hoped that, in bringing a new case, the police and Crown Prosecution Service were confident that they had sufficient evidence to convict the defendant. It was clear from the start of the trial that this was simply not the case.

“Over the course of the trial, it has become clear that there were significant holes in the prosecution case against Nicky Jacobs.

“Testimony of key prosecution witnesses included inconsistencies and inaccuracies, as well as revelations of police payments to witnesses.

“This trial has forced the local community to think back to those painful days in the mid 1980s. It is difficult for a community to look forward to a brighter future while its attention is consistently being forced to focus on the darker days of the past.”

A statement published on behalf of the family of PC Keith Blakelock said they are “extremely sad and disappointed” by the verdict but would not give up the fight to bring his killers to justice.

The Tottenham MP added: “No one benefits from today's ruling or the way this trial has played out.

“The Blakelock family have had to endure the torment of another trial, and another not-guilty verdict, while the local community is once again forced to reflect on an era that it is trying to move on from.

“It is important that the community is allowed to move past these events rather than be defined by them. We must determine to look forward as well as back."