Vandalised Windrush display moved to Home Office

Friends of Windrush Square previously said the vandalism was racially motivated

A Windrush exhibition featuring portraits of people who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean, which was defaced while on display in south London, is now being shown at the Home Office.

The public art display in Brixton's Windrush Square was defaced on 3 July, with the vandalism described as "distressing" by a community group.

The works aim to honour the history, legacy and contribution of the Windrush generation to British society.

Mike Tapp, minister for migration and citizenship, said hosting the exhibition was a way to "own the mistake", adding: "Holding this exhibition here in the Home Office, where the Home Office Windrush scandal began, where the mistakes were made, is really powerful."

He said: "Meeting those who shared their stories will stay with me forever. Really impressive, fantastic people, who, in my view, showed a lot of guts.

"Because to turn anger into something so positive is something that we can all learn from, not just across this country, but across the whole world.

"If you make a mistake, you have to own that mistake. If you don't own the mistake, you'll never fix it and then you can't deliver justice."

The public art display in Brixton's Windrush Square was defaced on 3 July

Windrush Untold Stories features 20 portraits and first-hand accounts of people who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and 1970s.

Exhibition photographer Amit Lennon said in a post on social media that it was an "incredible turnaround" to have the portraits in the Home Office.

He said in his post: "The last time I was in that building was to photograph Theresa May, when she was home secretary and had initiated the 'hostile environment' plan, that led to so many Windrush immigration injustices.

"It is still ongoing with many compensation still not resolved, but well done to the current ministers for highlighting these stories in the heart of government."

Friends of Windrush Square previously said the vandalism was "not only an attack on public art but a blatant act of racial hatred directed at a community that has given so much to the life and spirit of the UK".

The Metropolitan Police arrested a man on suspicion of vandalism, racially aggravated criminal damage and possessing articles with intent to destroy or damage property. He was bailed pending further inquiries.

Police said they did not believe the incident was racially motivated. The BBC understands the vandalism may have been mental health-related.