MENACING anti-Muslim graffiti has been daubed in large writing across a Catholic family's home.

The Joacph family returned from holiday early at the weekend to find their house had been covered in threatening graffiti.

The home and its neighbouring garage, in Gleneagles Road, in the Saltersgill area of Middlesbrough, were covered with hate messages scrawled in red paint, saying the family were terrorists, bombers, and calling for the killing of Muslims.

The Joacphs, who are practising Roman Catholics, came from India to the country, before they moved to the North-East three years ago. They said they were devastated by the incident.

Mother Jojimol Joacph said: "We came here for a better life and better job, but nobody cares that people are doing things like this.

"We aren't Muslims, we are Catholics, but it is not fair that people think we are making all these problems."

The graffiti has been removed, but a police investigation is under way to find those responsible.

Police said they had received a call from a concerned neighbour who reported the graffiti on Saturday afternoon after they noticed the threats.

A spokesman said: "Our scenes of crime officers have photographed the graffiti and an investigation is under way.

"After the evidence was documented, we contacted the local authority's out-of-hours service to remove the writing.

"We obviously do not want messages like this left for very long, and the council were asked to act quickly.

"We take racist graffiti such as this extremely seriously."

The incident is one of a number across the country following comments made by Commons Leader Jack Straw regarding the wearing of veils by Muslim women.

A spokesman for the Muslim Safety Forum said there has been an increase in attacks and threats since Mr Straw described the veil as a visible statement of separation.