THE DESECRATION of a Jewish cemetery has provoked widespread anger in the community.

Politicians, religious leaders of all faiths and residents have united in condemning vandals who smashed 87 gravestones, including those of two young children, and daubed anti-Semitic graffiti in the graveyard in Buckingham Road, Stratford.

The cemetery, which is owned by the United Synagogue, has seen 117 attacks in the last 15 years, and the latest incident comes soon after similar attacks on Jewish cemeteries in Manchester and Essex.

The door to a mausoleum which is the resting place of two members of the Rothschild banking family was smashed open and graffiti, including a swastika and the words A Hitler, was drawn on the 140-year-old building.

Swastikas were also scrawled on gravestones as vandals left a trail of destruction through the centre of the 150-year-old cemetery, causing damage estimated at £100,000.

The attack was discovered on June 12 by cemetery manager Mark Williams and is believed to have happened some time in the previous ten days.

DI Steve Lane, who is leading the investigation, described the vandalism as a "despicable racist attack".

Police carried out forensic tests at the scene on Sunday and removed stones which had been written on for further testing.

Police say information will be used to trace the identity of the perpetrators who left signature "tags" on the mausoleum wall. No significant breakthrough had been made in the investigation by yesterday.

A vigil attended by politicians, community and religious leaders, campaigners and local residents was held at the cemetery on Sunday to protest against the attack.

A spokesman for Newham United Against Fascism, which organised the event, said: "Newham is one of the most diverse boroughs in the country with all communities living, not just side by side, but together in harmony. We will not allow fascists to divide us."

Speaking at the graveyard, Melvyn Hartog, head of burial at the United Synagogue, said: "I find this all very sad.

"It has frustrated a lot of people in the Jewish community. People should be able to live together and the dead should be given the respect they deserve.

"Whoever did this was very determined. The stones are very heavy and deep in the ground. It takes four members of staff to lift them.

"I think it must have been done during daylight hours, because it is pitch black during the night and they would not have been able to see a thing. I just hope someone from these nearby houses saw something.

"We will tidy up and line the broken stones up by the graves to try and give the dead some respect, but it will be impossible to repair all the damage.

In 2003, nearly 400 graves were desecrated in the Jewish Plashet Cemetery in East Ham.

Anyone with information on the latest attack should call the police 7275 5889 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.