A Met Police commander has urged anyone with information about the “brutal murder” of a Palestinian cartoonist 30 years ago to come forward.

Naji Al-Ali, who worked for Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Qabas, was fatally shot in his neck as he walked to his Knightsbridge office on July 22, 1987.

The cartoonist, who received death threats after publishing drawings deemed critical of the regime in Palestine, was taken to hospital where he remained in a coma until he died a month later.

On the 30th anniversary of Mr Al-Ali's death, Met Police detectives have relaunched their appeal to the public to help identify and find those responsible for 51-year-old's murder.

Commander Dean Haydon, head of the Met's counter terrorism command, urged anyone with information to come forward in an interview published on Tuesday (August 29).

Naji Al-Ali was murdered in Knightsbridge 30 years ago

He said: “Mr Naji Al-Ali was on his way to work, he was on Ives Street, Knightsbridge. He was approached by a male from behind who shot him in the back of the neck.

“Nearby, shortly after the shooting, a second male was seen concealing what is believed to be a handgun in his coat.

“He then got into a left-hand drive grey or silver Mercedes and then also fled the scene.

“I am appealing for anybody who was in that vicinity at the time who might have seen the shooting, might have seen the incident, please to come forward and make contact with us.”

In the moments leading up to the murder, witnesses reported seeing him being followed by the suspected gunman, who they described as being of Middle-Eastern appearance and aged about 25, with collar-length thick black hair that was wavy at the back.

The suspect was wearing a stonewashed denim jacket and dark trousers, police said.

An artist's impression of the gunman drawn shortly after the incident has been updated as part of the murder review, to show what the suspect may look like today.

Ahead of the murder, Mr Al-Ali parked his car on Ixworth Place, walked down into Draycott Avenue and onto Ives Street.

Mr Haydon added: “This is the 30-year anniversary of Mr Al-Ali's death and over that period of time people's allegiances change.

“People who might not have felt confident at the time in relation to coming forward, I'd encourage them now to actually speak to us.

“The police, in particular, do not close such inquiries, they always remain active, they are constantly reviewed, and as a result, if people feel like they can help us then I'd encourage them to make contact.”

Met Police has urged anyone with information to call the investigation team on 020 3276 9014.

Keep up to date with the latest news in west London via the free getwestlondon app.

You can set up your app to see all the latest news and events from your area, plus receive push notifications for breaking news.

Available to download from the App Store or Google Play for Android .