Family 'devastated' over vandalism

The architectural centre was attacked last night, only one week after it opened.

The incident, in which vandals caused an estimated £120,000 worth of damage, is being treated as racial and is being investigated by the hate crime unit, Scotland Yard confirmed.

It happened 11 years to the day that a jury at Stephen's inquest returned a unanimous verdict that he had been unlawfully killed in a "completely unprovoked racist attack by five white youths".

On Wednesday night, vandals threw bricks at the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford, south-east London, smashing eight windows at an estimated cost of £120,000.

Karin Woodley, the chief executive of the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust said on behalf of the family: "They are devastated, but this won't hinder the work of the charity."

Ms Woodley said that Stephen's mother Doreen was inside the building, where she is a member of the senior management team. She was too upset to speak about the incident herself.

"She feels great sadness, like we all do, but this has also reinforced her determination," Ms Woodley said.

She added that it was the fourth time the building has been attacked, with incidents she believed to be racially-motivated beginning last October.

Stephen was murdered at a bus stop near his home in Eltham, south-east London, in April 1993. Five men were arrested shortly afterwards but no-one has been convicted of his killing. A vigorous campaign has sought justice for his murder.