Swastika greets shul visitors

A two-foot high swastika was daubed on the front wall of a Manchester synagogue - only hours before a senior policeman and local politicians made an official visit.

The wall at Whitefield Synagogue was defaced in the early hours of Saturday. Shortly afterwards, a special service for Jewish ex-servicemen was held at the synagogue, attended by MP Ivan Lewis, council leaders and the area's police inspector. A barmitzvah was also overshadowed by the incident.

Despite attempts to cover the symbol, news of the daubing quickly spread. Inspector Dave Ryecroft instructed his police officers to use special chemicals to remove the image, but a smudged outline remained.

Describing the incident as "ugly", Inspector Ryecroft says his force have active lines of enquiry. A police spokesman indicated that a suspect has been identified.