Sir Keir Starmer admitted he felt “sick” watching how police handled the murder of teenager Henry Nowak.

The Prime Minister admitted there are “serious questions” about how “accusations of racism” shaped officers’ responses.

He said Henry, 18, had his life “stolen” by Vickrum Digwa after spending a night out with friends in Southampton.

The PM told broadcasters: “I have to say, as a father of a 17-year-old boy, I felt sick watching it.

“It is absolutely right that the IOPC (Independent Office for Police Conduct) are looking at this.

“There are clearly serious questions that need to be addressed, not least how accusations of racism informed the decision making in this case.

“But my thoughts, I am sure the thoughts of everybody in this country, are with Henry’s family.

“His life has been stolen and they are understandably devastated, and that is where I start in this.”

But the Prime Minister claimed Reform UK leader Nigel Farage was “wrong” to say the response to Henry Nowak’s murder should be “pure, cold rage”.

Responding to Mr Farage’s claim, the Prime Minister told broadcasters: “I think Nigel Farage’s reaction is the wrong reaction, and I start my answer to your question through the eyes of the family.

“They have said they do not want this whipped up. They have been through the most extraordinary, awful experience. They don’t want this whipped up.

“And Nigel Farage is completely wrong to use this to try and create division.

“He would be wrong in any circumstances, but when Henry’s family are saying please don’t do that, it is our son, then really politicians as human beings should start where they start. And that is where I start.”

Asked about a wider inquiry, Sir Keir said it was important the IOPC carry out its work first.

Mr Farage warned the “rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities” as anger erupted over the police handling of the Henry Nowak murder.

The Reform UK leader said victim Mr Nowak was “actually treated in a way that meant an accusation of a racial slur was treated more seriously than an act of murder”.

The Reform UK leader said: “What does he say? I can’t breathe.

“Familiar words. Remember career criminal George Floyd, who died in appalling circumstances in Midwest America a few years ago.

“Remember the reaction to that and the way the police behaved? Within a few days Keir Starmer was taking the knee. Black Lives Matter exploded all over the country. Churchill’s statue was defaced, the cenotaph was vandalised.

“And yet, what has the public reaction been from our leaders and politicians, and indeed, to be frank, much of the media to this?

“Silence, absolute silence. Proof, if ever there was any, that we are living in a two-tier culture in this country where the rights and privileges of white people matter less than those of ethnic minorities.”

Public comment on the case has been limited because of the ongoing court case and the need to avoid prejudicing the trial that led to the conviction of Vickrum Digwa for Mr Nowak’s murder.

But shocking bodycam footage released by Hampshire Constabulary late on Monday night revealed the true horror of the case.

Digwa’s family can be seen surrounding Henry, telling officers “he keeps dropping” and that he “has a mouthful of blood”.

Officers then ask Digwa what happened, before asking if “anyone other than him” had been injured. Digwa burbled on about having a “swollen eye”.

They then dragged Henry, who was collapsed on the floor across the gravel, while saying “let’s get you out of there, shall we?”

The male officer then says to his colleague “can you grab his other arm?”

The 18-year-old then told officers he had been stabbed, before an officer responded: “I don’t think you have, mate.”

Henry is then placed in handcuffs while repeatedly telling them: “I can’t breathe.”

A female officer eventually asks Henry, who is in handcuffs at this point, “where do you think you’ve been stabbed?” before saying to her colleague, “we have to check, don’t we”.

She eventually called an ambulance after realising his “pupils aren’t even reacting”.

The near-three-minute footage ends with the arresting officer asking for Henry’s name, before reading him his rights.

And Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood accused Robert Jenrick of trying to pit white Britons against non-white Britons.

Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman told the Commons he believed the police officer who handcuffed Henry Nowak “should be in court being prosecuted for a total dereliction of duty”.

He said: “Why do officers behave in this way? Is it because they have been taught repeatedly to elevate perceptions of ethnic minority communities over the safety of white British people?”

He added: “It is a sickness rooted in the anti-racism agenda. Will the Home Secretary root it out, will she return to equality before the law for all, and will she say that when it comes to public safety, white lives matter just as much as anyone else’s?”

The Home Secretary responded: “I don’t think this is a moment to pit white Britons against non-white Britons. This is a moment to reflect on a horrific tragedy.

“He knows full well that the IOPC is investigating the conduct of those police officers. It would be wholly inappropriate for a member of this House to seek to pre-empt an independent investigation into the potential misconduct of police officers.”

And Mr Farage said society should respond to the scandal with “cold rage”.

“Henry’s family have responded to this in just the most extraordinarily dignified way.

“But I suggest the rest of us respond to this with pure cold rage.

“This is wrong. All the values and standards of living in a free country where everybody is judged equally before the law have been trashed and thrown away.”

He added: “The most important thing that needs to change, that has to change, if our society is not to be ripped apart, where communities start to distrust each other and deeply distrust the police and all the other institutions of this country, is we need a change in culture.