GRAFFITI vandals have painted swastikas on headstones at a New Milton cemetery.

Five headstones were damaged in the attack with swearwords also being written on the ground’s walls earlier this week at the graveyard in Church Lane.

The Rev Andrew Bailey from St Mary Magdalene church said arrangements were being made to have the headstones and walls cleaned but that they had not contacted the police.

He said: "It is a regrettable incident and the first time we have had any graffiti actually painted onto a gravestone.

"As a church we will take responsibility for it this time."