The family of the Notorious BIG have lost an attempt to have the inquiry into his murder widened.

Last week, a court judge threw out their attempts to include claims that two former police officers were present and complicit in his murder in an expanded lawsuit of wrongful death against the City of Los Angeles.

The family had attempted to claim that former police officers David Mack and Rafael Perez were working for Death Row Records mogul Marion 'Suge' Knight and were involved in the fatal shooting of the legendary rapper.

Notorious BIG, real name Christopher Wallace, was killed on March 9th 1997 after a star-studded party at Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles. Based on allegations from a prison insider, the Wallace family claim that Mr Perez was at the museum on the night of the murder and alerted Mr Mack to Biggie Smalls' presence.

Last year, a judge throw out the previous trial after it was discovered that a police detective had purposefully hid information from a prison mole that linked the murder to the two officers. Declaring a mis-trial, the judge also ordered the city to pay the family $1.1 million in legal fees and other expenses.

Despite this, US District Judge Florence-Marie Cooper denied a request to extend the claims. She said there was "no admissible evidence that Perez was on duty at the scene of the murder".

Attorney Perry Sanders explained the judge's ruling means the case will remain the same as when it was first filed four years ago. The new allegation "was about a hair's difference between the original cause of action" and the new case he sought to expand, Sanders said. "We obviously still have all the same claims," he added.

The officers, Mr Knight and accused gunman Amir