THE grave of a teenager stabbed to death in a street fight has been desecrated.

Vandals ripped out the cross and tore out decorations at the grave of 16-year-old Ben Hitchock in Beckenham Crematorium.

It happened some time between Saturday evening and Sunday morning. Ben's mother Lee said she was distraught at what had happened.

She said: "Ben's grave has been totally vandalised. When I went to see it I couldn't believe what they had done to him. I was in such a state. This is diabolical."

Mrs Hitchock said she was sure the attack was linked to the murder investigation into her son's death.

"This was not just a random attack," she said. "None of the other graves were touched at all."

Ben, who lived in Penge and was a pupil at Kelsey Park Sports College in Beckenham was fatally stabbed in the stomach during a fight involving up to 40 youths, in Southend Road, Beckenham, at about 11.20pm on Saturday, June 23 last year.

Police are still trying to catch his killer.

See next week's Bromley Extra for more details.