Louis Rapaport has been heartened by the support

The Lord Mayor of Manchester, Councillor Mohammed Afzal Khan, was among those who attended Sunday's rally at Rainsough Cemetery in Prestwich.

He described the attack as a "disgusting act of vandalism".

About 100 headstones and graves were wrecked in Thursday's incident, which police said was racially motivated.

'Very shocking'

It was the fourth racist attack at the cemetery and caused damage valued at an estimated £150,000.

Louis Rapaport, president of the Jewish Representatives Council for Greater Manchester, said he was heartened at the support shown by people of different faiths and races.

He added: "It has been very shocking for the whole community and it's going to take a long time to get over this."

The Bury Unite Against Fascism group were among the organisers of the vigil.

A Greater Manchester Police spokesman had called the attack a "heartless offence".

Det Insp Simon Collier said: "Each grave damaged has Hebrew inscriptions on it. I think it is a racist incident.

"It is disgusting that someone could commit a crime of such a thoughtless and disrespectful nature in a place where people come to grieve and mourn the loss of their loved ones."