SECTARIAN graffiti daubed outside a parochial house in Co Down has been criticised by a senior police officer.
'No surrender' and 'FTP', an abbreviation for the slur 'f*** the Pope', were painted on the ground and walls outside Barmeen parochial house in Rathfriland.
The PSNI has said the incident of criminal damage late last week is being treated as a hate crime.
Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin shared images of the graffiti online on Saturday and urged anyone with information to contact officers.
He wrote on Twitter: "Hate crime at Barnmeen Parochial House is unacceptable. Please report info to 101 or anonymously to CrimestoppersUK."
The images were first posted on the PSNI Newry and Mourne Facebook page last Friday, with officers saying the graffiti happened overnight.
"The writing on the stone wall is just across the road on the stone bridge at the Newry Road/Greenhill Road junction," police said online.
"We would appeal to anyone who has any information in relation to these acts of criminal damage to bring it to us.
"There can be no excuse for this type of behaviour targeting a place of worship. Regardless of religion, everyone has the right to practise religion peacefully. We are treating these incidents as hate crimes."
