The family of Stephen Lawrence, the murdered black teenager, was said to be "devastated" tonight after a £10 million architectural centre dedicated to his memory was vandalised in an apparent racial attack just one week after it opened.

Stephen's mother Doreen Lawrence was too upset to speak to the press following the incident at the Stephen Lawrence Centre in Deptford, south-east London, last night. She visited the building to survey the damage after eight large windows designed by Chris Ofili, the Turner Prize-winning artist and said to be worth around £15,000 each, were shattered with bricks in an attack that police said appeared to be racially motivated.

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.

“She [Ms Lawrence] feels great sadness like we all do but this has also reinforced her determination,” Ms Woodley said.

The latest in a string of attacks on the centre, the vandalism comes on the 11th anniversary of the inquest which pronounced the killing of Mr Lawrence an unprovoked racist murder.

It was met with expressions of outrage from across the capital. Hazel Blears, Communities Minister, branded the perpetrators "twisted" while Ken Livingstone, the Mayor of London, described it as an “outrageous act of racism”.

Mr Livingstone said: “I am disgusted by this racist attack on the Stephen Lawrence Centre, which comes only one week after it officially opened.

“This latest outrageous act of racism follows several others over the past few months on the centre.

“It also comes on the anniversary of the inquest that confirmed Stephen’s death to be an unprovoked racist murder, and will be even more distressing for his mother Doreen, who has fought to establish this cultural landmark for the whole community.”

The London Development Agency, which helped fund the centre, would assist with repairs if required, he said.

Police were called to the centre on Brookmill Road in Deptford, south-east London at 5.45am following reports that vandals had destroyed the large front windows with bricks.

It is thought that the bricks were thrown from behind a 2.5 metre high metal fence surrounding the three-storey building. A spokesman for Scotland Yard said: “The incident is being treated as racial. That follows an allegation by a member of public.

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