Nearly 30 years on from her murder friends and relatives paid an emotional tribute to Claire Tiltman at the opening of a new eco-centre named in her memory.

The building in Cotton Lane, Stone is dedicated to the 16-year-old and will be used for a variety of environmentally-friendly activities including scouting.

Friends have paid tribute following the opening of The Claire Tiltman Centre in Stone.

In 1993, Claire, who lived in Woodward Terrace, was undertaking her bronze Duke of Edinburgh (DoE) award when she was brutally stabbed to death in an alleyway off London Road, Greenhithe.

Stone Parish Council decided to name the new centre after Claire after consulting her family and friends.

Yesterday, relatives and school pals were joined by council chairman Lucy Canham, and a scout group to be based on-site, to unveil a plaque in her honour.

Numerous tributes were paid to the much-loved teen they affectionately nicknamed "Tilts", including from a school friend who appeared via video message from Mexico.

Together they shared memories of the former Dartford Grammar School for Girls pupil and how she had harboured dreams of becoming a firefighter.

Although still devastated by her loss, friends said they took comfort in knowing the new centre would be bringing exciting and educational activities to young people and how its ethos chimed with the "loud" and "fun" person Claire was.

Friend Emma Edwards said it was great to see something "really positive" associated with her memory.

"Obviously there is a lot of pain associated and linked back to how Claire left us," she said.

"But seeing something like this which is going to have young people doing their Duke of Edinburgh that will come here, which is what Claire was doing when she left us, and seeing the difference this is going to make to young people that live in the area is really amazing.

"I hope they will have lots of fun and maybe be a bit mischievous exactly like Claire used to be."

The facility has finally opened after years of unexpected delays and setbacks.

It will focus primarily on youth and ecology-led activities and will also provide a dedicated base for The Brent (6th Dartford) Scout group, which runs weekly sessions for hundreds of children aged four to 18.

Over four-acres of green space will also provide ample room for outdoor pursuits, as well as enabling the planting of trees, hedges and plants to support ideas for a forest school and community orchard.

The building itself has been built to be eco-friendly with a mechanical ventilation heating and air cooling system, solar photovoltaic panels, rainwater harvesting and electric vehicle charging points.

Inside there is a large hall, seminar room, and a large kitchen with a number of cooking stations and breakout areas.

On-site there is also cycle storage to accompany 29 car parking spaces.

Speaking at yesterday's event, Dartford council leader Jeremy Kite paid tribute to Claire as a "wonderful woman" who he said would have "made a big contribution".

He went on to praise the parish council for its drive to deliver "really good, modern things" for the community.

"You just know over the years hundreds and hundreds of kids are going to come through this," Cllr Kite added. "As well as all the other hirers, community groups and local people that are going to make use of it."

"It's exactly what we should be doing and buildings like this make all the difference."

Further use of the centre will be developed over the coming months to enable community hire for "eco-friendly" social events and weddings, as well as establishing volunteer and activity groups.

This includes enabling local access to DoE award activities, of which Claire was a part of.

Claire Tiltman was the only child of Dartford residents Cliff and Linda Tiltman who both passed away before her killer was brought to justice.

The original investigation in 1993 was named Operation Artist and was one of the largest Kent Police has ever run.

Despite heavy media attention the case went unsolved for more than two decades and even saw then Prime Minister David Cameron address the Commons in 2013 when he pledged the government would do "everything it can" to help.

Claire's friends campaigned tirelessly and held a candlelit walk on the 20th anniversary of her death to retrace her last steps and re-ignite a public appeal for information.

Some 21 years after her death, former milkman Colin Ash-Smith from Swanscombe, was eventually convicted of her murder in 2014 and jailed for life.