TWO brothers who painted racist National Front graffiti onto a house in Hereford have been jailed.

Their message referred to Pakistanis – but the property was rented by a Portuguese family, a court heard.

Joanne Barker, prosecuting, said a 15-year-old girl saw the pair writing on her home in Hinton. Thirty minutes later they returned with a scourer to remove the words.

Christopher Walker, aged 21, of Green Street, St James, Hereford, and 22-year-old Mark Walker, of River View, Ross-on- Wye, pleaded guilty to racially aggravated harassment.

The younger brother also admitted theft of a mobile phone from a shop customer, while the elder one further pleaded guilty to breaching a suspended jail sentence.

Judge Andrew Geddes said the brothers both “possessed deeply unpleasant racist views”, adding: “This kind of behaviour cannot be tolerated in a modern society.”

He jailed Mark Walker for six months and his brother for nine months, which included the suspended sentence for criminal damage.

The brothers also sprayed a swastika onto the home at 11pm on May 9 last year, Worcester Crown Court heard.

Mark Walker used further racist language after his arrest, and his brother railed against Polish families being housed in the area.

Tim Sapwell, defending, said Christopher Walker had suffered the effects of an extremely disturbed childhood. The father-of-one grew up angry and confused, venting his frustration against property.

Mr Sapwell said Mark Walker had an entrenched racist attittude which needed to be challenged.

He carried out the crime while drunk. Custody would do little to change his views, Mr Sapwell added.