Vandals are being hunted by police after they daubed graffiti on a church building in Felixstowe twice within a few days.

A red cross and the letters RIP were sprayed onto the doors and windows of the Temple of Light Christian Spiritualist Church in Beach Road West.

Minister at the church, Rev Maureen Hinton said it was the first such incident the church had suffered in 28 years at its tiny single-storey building.

She said: “Because it happened twice in a few days I think we are looking at a motivated attack rather than something by someone worse for drink in the middle of the night.

“We are now considering installing CCTV as a deterrent. It’s a shame and it will cause us some expense, too.

“Everyone has different beliefs and people should be allowed to follow their beliefs in peace. It’s such a shame because people get such comfort and healing from attending the events at our church.”

Redecorating work had been done at the church recently. The graffiti had been painted over and the door would be repainted.

The church has spent more than £30,000 in the past eight years to refurbish and modernise the premises.

Vandals caused the damage on the night of Wednesday, July 9 and between 1am and 9am on Sunday, July 14.

Officers are asking anyone with information about who caused the damage, or saw or heard any suspicious activity in the street during the night, to call them on 101.

The church has been meeting in the building, described as a haven of peace, just off the main seafront for many years.

Three meetings are held each week, with a different medium speaking and giving a demonstration on Sundays and Wednesdays, and a coffee morning with spiritual healing on Thursdays, throughout the year.