The family of stabbed school boy Nilanthan Murddi are furious after gangsters hijacked a roadside memorial at the scene of his death.

Although Nilanthan associated with members of Croydon’s notorious Tamil gangs, his family insist he had never joined one.

But gangsters have scrawled tributes over the vast roadside memorial that spans the junction of London Road and Sumner Road in Croydon where Nilanthan lost his life.

Tributes from gang member friends read, “RIP Fallen Souljah,” and “Croydon Boyz,” who are believed to be the former Jaffna Boys, a notorious Tamil street gang.

Nilanthan’s cousin, Vinisha Mahnivasaghan, 24, said: “When the tributes first went up my aunt was really upset about it and she wanted it taken down but what can you do?

“We were thinking that it might imply that my cousin was part of a gang and he wasn’t.

“He had a lot of friends and he knew a lot of people but he himself wasn’t in a gang. I’m upset by it, it makes him look bad.”

Nilanthan Murddi died after being stabbed in Sumner Road at the junction with London Road at 1.33am on August 16.

He was rushed to Mayday Hospital where he was pronounced dead at 4.30am.

A postmortem examination showed the 17-year-old died from a single knife wound to the neck.

Labourer Steven Braithwaite, 30, is accused of killing the former Selhurst school pupil after allegedly attacking him on August 16 in Sumner Road, West Croydon.

He was remanded in custody and will appear at the Old Bailey on November 27.