Racist graffiti that appeared overnight on a block of flats was hastily removed by an angry local tradesman.

Peter Freeman, a self-employed ceramic tiler, said he was up early today preparing to volunteer for 50Backpacks when he was alerted to a social media post.

“When I saw the words that had been daubed across the flats, I was spitting blood,” he said. “On this, of all days, it seemed even more offensive and I decided to do something about it,”

He found some paint, went out to Orange Grove, and began cleaning off the racist remarks.

“My father fought in the desert during the war and I felt this disrespected him and millions of others who fought for this country,” he said.

“I didn’t go out and clean it off for any other reason other than to show that people in Wisbech care about their town and are proud of it.”

Mr Freeman said he spoke to the tenant of the flat before beginning work and they were pleased he was removing it.

“I know who owns the flats and I told the tenant to ring them sometime and tell them what happened,” he said.

And with that he was off delivering food parcels for the Wisbech 50 Backpacks community enterprise.

“I simply wasn’t going to have that in the town I grew up in and love,” he added. “I didn’t even know someone was going to take a photo. A woman came along and asked if she could take a photo.”