THE CITY council have been praised by the community for their quick work in removing a swastika that had been spray painted onto a tree.

The offensive symbol on a tree in Lyppard Grange nature reserve was spotted by many concerned residents who reported it to Worcester City Council.

One kind member of the public even offered to go down to the reserve and clean it off himself - but the council dealt with it the following morning.

Andrew Roberts, the councillor for Warndon Villages, said this 'stupid act' was 'thankfully very rare'.

He said: "Myself and a number of other residents have seen this vandalism as the tree and its location in the gardens is a very important part of the community.

"This was clearly a stupid act done without much thought at all. I have never seen anything else like it, so it certainly isn't representative of the views of anyone here.

"I am very glad that the council dealt with the issue so quickly."

Last month we reported on a similar story in which vandals behind vile Nazi swastikas painted at the same nature reserve were asked to make themselves known to volunteers who want to educate them.

The disgusting symbol was painted on the floor in bright green, and on a noticeboard of the Lyppard Grange nature reserve, to the shock of many who voiced disgust on social media.

After hearing of the symbols members of the LikeU charity group, which supports ethnic minorities in Worcester, went out and cleaned it up.

Tomasz Jarecki, who runs the charity appealed for the vandals to come forward so he can speak with them.

Writing on the Like U group on Facebook, Mr Jarecki said: “We don’t hold a grudge, or anything like it. But if you honestly believe this sign represents anything but evil, have the courage to come in and let us know. We will gladly help you organise a trip to Auschwitz - Birkenau, so you can have a better understanding of what it is that you’re trying to promote.”