Glyn Morgan, a victim support development officer in the city, told the inquiry: "I am confident that what happened would not have happened in Manchester."

He added that a support scheme there had been particularly successful.

The probe into matters arising from Stephen's murder has moved to Manchester for one day to gather "positive recommendations" from the regions for the future prosecution of racially motivated crimes.

This visit will be followed by hearings in Bradford on 21 October and Bristol on 3 November.

Stephen Lawrence: "Seriously flawed" investigation into his murder

Race relations organisations, victim support groups, probation services and police in each area will give evidence to chairman Sir William Macpherson and his three advisers on how they tackle race crime.

Leader of Manchester City Council, Richard Leese, told the inquiry that the city was a "multicultural" place. However, ethnic minorities who had made valuable contributions to the local community were still subject to discrimination and attack.

"Stephen Lawrence is a victim of racist crime. And there have been countless victims of racist crime in this city ... and across this region," he said.

Stephen, 18, was stabbed and left to die by white youths at a bus stop in Eltham, south-east London, on 22 April 1993. Police believe the crime had a racial motive.

Five local youths were arrested, but none was convicted. A subsequent private prosecution of three of the youths collapsed.

Private prosecutions against the suspected killers collapsed

An inquiry into events surrounding Stephen's murder was called after it was revealed that there were serious errors in the police investigation.

However, Sir William has stressed that this stage of the inquiry is not intended to establish the current state of the relationship between the police and ethnic minorities.

He said its purpose was to come up with "constructive" recommendations for the investigation and prosecution of racially-motivated crime in the UK.

The first part of the inquiry started on 16 March in London and heard 56 days of evidence from 88 witnesses before closing on 20 July.

It resumed in London on 24 September before moving to Ealing, in the west of the city, on 8 October.

The inquiry will return to hear submissions in Bethnal Green on Wednesday, before moving to Bradford and Bristol.

Sir William's report is due to be received by the Home Secretary in December and will probably be made public in the new year.