Red paint sprayed over Barclays Bank branch

Two men threw red paint at the Newcastle branch in the early hours of Tuesday

A Barclays bank has been covered in red paint and had its door and windows smashed with a hammer.

Two men had reportedly thrown the paint at the branch on Northumberland Street in Newcastle just before 05:30 BST, Northumbria Police said.

The bank said it had been forced to close.

A spokesperson blamed "protest groups" who had "criticised Barclays for providing financial services to defence companies".

The bank said such groups had "resorted to intimidating staff, repeated vandalism of branches and online harassment".

The spokesperson added: "The safety of our colleagues and customers is our priority and we have additional measures in place such as increased security presence and surveillance technology."

The bank said it was targeted by protest groups

The branch remained closed on Tuesday while the damage was assessed.

A sign outside advised customers their next nearest alternative was in Cramlington, Northumberland.

Northumbria Police said it was looking into what had happened.