The murder of Stephen Lawrence has led to real changes in the way Britain deals with racism, a government minister has said.

As a senior police officer admitted the Metropolitan Police is still "institutionally racist", Home Office minister Lord Falconer said Lawrence's death would not be in vain.

On the 10th anniversary of his murder, the minister said: "The tragedy of the Lawrence story is not only the horror of Stephen Lawrence's brutal and senseless murder but also the failure of the criminal justice system - the police, the CPS, the courts - to deliver justice to Stephen and his family.

"While the Lawrence family have alone endured this tragedy, their response has impacted on us all.

"By the work they have done, the dignity and courage they have shown, they have thrown a light on our criminal justice system that can never be put out.

"By the force of what they have achieved they made the case for change irresistible.

"As a government we have committed ourselves to changes and have acted on that commitment."

But in a newspaper interview, commander Cressida Dick, the head of the Metropolitan Police's diversity directorate, said the force still had to learn some tough lessons.

"It's very difficult to imagine the situation where we will say we are no longer institutionally racist. It's a long way off," she said.