POLICE have made little headway in their investigation into the slaying of Jason Lightbourne, more than a month after the teenager was gunned down.

And yesterday detectives heading the investigation made another desperate plea for anyone with information to come forward.

Mr. Lightbourne, 18, was sitting at the wheel of a white sedan vehicle on Ord Road, Paget, in the early hours of July 23 when the gunman struck.

The killing took place just hours after a second teenager, Stefan Burgess, received serious injuries in a machete attack on Frog Lane, Devonshire.

Yesterday police made further appeals for witnesses to that incident to come forward and confirmed that a link between the two attacks had not been ruled out.

Officers confirmed that a total of six men had been arrested in connection with the attacks and released on bail after questioning.

They also revealed that various items recovered from the crime scenes had been sent to a forensics laboratory in Barbados for analysis.

But Chief Inspector Tracy Adams of the Serious Crime Unit conceded that both inquiries had faced "significant challenges" and that officers were "significantly hindered from progressing as a result of information that's being withheld".

He also said police might consider offering a reward if information was not forthcoming.

"Both investigations have been met with significant challenges," Chief Insp. Adams said.

"The officers are of the firm belief that these challenges can be overcome with the assistance of those who are directly involved or witnesses that have certain information together with the assistance of the public."

"We have not ruled out possible links between the two cases. In the murder of Jason Lightbourne, we are satisfied as a result of the inquiries to date that we are significantly hindered from progressing as a result of information that's being withheld despite our persistence to seek the truth."

Chief Insp. Adams was supported by Sergeant Robert Cardwell, who also stressed the need for information.

"A number of investigative options have been exhausted in the investigations and others are being explored with the obvious objective of bringing the culprits in both cases to justice," Sgt. Cardwell said.

"We have had some assistance in both investigations from the public and the investigation to date has been progressed as a result of that assistance. However, we are of the firm belief that there are still people out there who saw something or heard something or who heard somebody say something that might be of significance to the investigation and that information needs to come to our attention so that we can investigate it.

"The investigation is a puzzle and we have to put that puzzle together. We have reason to believe that our puzzle has blanks in it right now because people are not bringing information to us. What tends to happen is that people have information and they don't bring it forward to the police because they don't believe it's going to be of any significance. We ask that people let us make that decision and bring all information to us."

Officers said they were desperate to speak to anyone who was in Mr. Lightbourne's car ? a white Daihatsu sedan, registration number 37814 ? when he was shot.

And they also appealed to anyone who may be harbouring Mr. Lightbourne's killers and potential informants to also come forward.

"To those who have a positive influence over any of the young men who were in the area of Ord Road at the time of the brutal murder, that you encourage them to step forward and provide the police with the details and specifics of what they in fact witnessed and that that community come together to support these young men," Sgt. Cardwell said.

Anyone with information relating to either attack should contact the Special Crime Unit on 299 4239 or the confidential CrimeStoppers hotline on 1 800 623 8477.