Norwich synagogue sprayed with racist graffiti

Offensive words and a swastika - blurred in this photograph - were sprayed on the door

Police are investigating after racist graffiti was sprayed on the door of a Norfolk synagogue.

The offensive words and a swastika were painted on the door at the Adat Yeshua Messianic Synagogue in Essex St, Norwich between 16:00 BST on Thursday and 07:30 BST on Friday, it is thought.

Norfolk Police said it was conducting reassurance patrols in the area.

Rabbi Binyamin Sheldrake said the synagogue's response would be "not one of hatred but one of love".

The force said inquiries into the criminal damage were ongoing and called for any witnesses or anyone with information to come forward.

Rabbi Sheldrake said the initial response when people turned up this morning for morning prayers was "shock and horror" and residents in the area had told him how "sad and sorry" they were for what had been done.

"We have to bear in mind this is always the view of a minority of people who love to respond in hatred, perpetuating the cycles of violence and hatred that we see so much in this world," he said.

"Our response to this is not one of hate, we're not going to allow people who do this to actually disturb how we live our lives as Jews... our response always is to pray for people who do this kind of thing.

"Our response is not one of hatred but one of love."

Labour MP for Norwich South, Clive Lewis, has condemned the "anti-Semitic attack".

In a tweet, he said: "There's no place for hate of any kind in our community. Hate causes problems across the world, including the Middle East. We stand together in our desire for peace and will not be divided."