RACIST thugs scrawled nazi symbols and slogans on two churches in the same street hours before congregations turned up for Sunday services.

Parishoners turned up to St Peter’s Church of England Church and St Andrew’s United Reformed Church in Mount Park Road, Ealing, to find swastikas daubed in white paint on doors, windows and walls.

Messages such as “You worship false idols” and “N*****s” greeted St Andrew’s church secretary Barbara Henderson when she arrived to open up the church just after 9am on Sunday.

She said: “I was driving down the road and saw police outside St Peter’s and so I stopped to find out what was happening as we are so close together.

“They told me what had happened and I said I hoped it had not happened to our church, but the policeman said unfortunately it had.

“When I got there I couldn’t believe it. Every window and door had something offensive and nasty painted on it. It was really very extensive and extremely upsetting.”

Ms Henderson heaped praise on police officers who provided paper to help cover up some of the more offensive messages before the majority of worshippers got to the church.

Council workers have now cleaned the abuse off both churches in the leafy residential street.

Ms Henderson continued: “I really don’t understand who would have done this. It doesn’t seem like a random act, it seems very calculated as a lot of the messages were anti-Christianity.

“We have a very mixed congregation and the majority are white, so I don’t understand why the racist messages were painted here. I don’t think anyone from other religions could have done this, as it’s so disrespectful.

“When people turned up they were all shocked as they could not believe anybody could do this to a church.

“We have a centre which is used by all sorts of different groups and so this feels like an attack on the community, not just the church.”

Both churches suffered around £1,000 worth of damage from the attacks and both were locked up on the Saturday evening.

One woman who worships at St Andrew’s and lives opposite the church said she looked out of her window at 2am on Sunday morning and did not see any damage then.

James Powell, the son of Reverend Dr Mark Powell, of St Peter’s Church, who went on holiday on Sunday afternoon, said: “It’s just so disrespectful. Our house is right next door to the church but we didn’t hear anything. They even drew a swastika on our garage door. I just think it’s someone who’s got a problem with religion.”

Chris Mullally, a spokesman for Ealing Police, said “This was an act of purely mindless vandalism and we are saddened that someone would go out to actively target both places of worship with what can only be described as anti-Semitic graffiti.“ Anyone with information can contact Ealing Broadway Safer Neighbourhood Team on 0208 649 3573, Ealing Central Police Station on 020 8810 1212, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.