Veteran servicemen are angry that swastika graffiti was not removed from the bandstand in Trowbridge Park before the town’s Remembrance Sunday events.

Around 2,000 people attended the war memorial to pay their respects, just yards from the offensive graffiti.

Trowbridge Town Council oversees the park’s maintenance, making it the authority’s responsibility to remove the swastika, which has been there for more than two weeks.

Lance Allan, town clerk, said: “We reviewed the situation prior to Remembrance Day and because the bandstand wasn’t entirely visible we decided to concentrate on making the war memorial look as good as it did.”

Mr Allan said that the town council will paint over graffiti in the bandstand and plans to put up a railing to prevent further vandalism.

Brian Mitchell, Trowbridge Royal British Legion’s parade marshal, said: “It saddens me that people in authority didn’t get this painted over in time.

“It should have been covered up as it is a day of feeling and emotion and something like this could have triggered people off.”

Bill Steele, West Wilts and Bath Royal Engineers Association’s secretary, said: “They should have got rid of the graffiti before the parade.”

And Major Peter Williams, chairman of Trowbridge’s RBL, slammed the vandals.

He said: “The fact that somebody has put symbols like that up so close to the memorial is a disgrace. I’m totally and utterly taken back by it and I’m surprised someone would stoop so low.”

Wiltshire Police is currently investigating the matter, as well as other racist graffiti daubed on walls in Trowbridge recently.

Anyone with information about who vandalised the bandstand can call police on 101.