Negotiations are underway between Whitehall and Libya’s National Transitional Council to allow British police to travel to Tripoli to investigate the murder of WPC Yvonne Fletcher.
The officer was shot in 1984 while on duty outside the Libyan Embassy. Abdulmagid Salah Ameri, a junior diplomat at the embassy, remains the prime suspect, while two other men, Matouk Mohammed Matouk and Abdulqadir al-Baghdadi, both senior diplomats at the time of the shooting, are wanted for questioning.
No arrests were even made in connection with the murder, and the suspects were able to flee the country under diplomatic immunity.
Earlier today, Foreign Secretary William Hague said he expected the rebels to co-operate with any investigation, stating that it was essential for future diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Speaking to Sky News, Hague said: "The NTC have always said to us, including when their chairman was here in London in May, that they would co-operate fully with the British authorities on these subjects and this is one of the priorities for us in future relations with Libya.
"Diplomatically, we will help the Metropolitan Police to conduct investigations, including in Libya, when the security on the ground allows that."
However, evening reports suggest that one of the suspects, al-Baghdadi, had been shot dead.
Speaking later to the BBC, Hague said: “This is the subject of a Metropolitan Police investigation that is going on and will go on into the future.
"Of course we will want to know a good deal more about what the NTC say has happened in this case and I'm sure the police will want to know and assess themselves whether it affects their investigation in any way."
Even should either of the remaining suspects be located, the chances of securing a trial in UK looks unlikely as the NTC has already stated that there will be no extradition of Libyan nationals to the west.
According to The Evening Standard, the SAS is already in Libya hunting those thought to be behind the murder.