POLICE have released CCTV images of a group of possible witnesses they would like to speak to after a number of buildings across Blackburn were daubed with graffiti.

The buildings included the Blackburn Magistrates’ Court on Northgate, the Citizens Advice Bureau on Hall Street, the Royal Bank of Scotland on King William Street, the Grade II-Listed Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery, and the Town Hall.

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Each of the eight building targeted were found to have been marked with the words ‘free Palestine’.

The graffiti has been widely condemned by community leaders, prominent Asian councillors, and Blackburn MP Jack Straw.

Officers are looking to trace a man in relation to the graffiti attacks, who was wearing light coloured trousers and a black hooded jacket.

It is thought that three women spoke to the man on Northgate, outside the old town hall building at around 9:45pm, and police believe they may have vital information about the incidents.

The spate of graffiti took place in the early hours of Wednesday morning, and the paint has now been removed at a cost of hundreds of pounds by Blackburn with Darwen Council.

Police are now urging anyone with information to contact them.

DS Eric Halford from Blackburn CID said “We are very keen to trace who was responsible for what we are treating as criminal damage.

“We believe that the man has been on foot so if anyone has seen a man walking around Blackburn town centre between 9pm and 10pm wearing a black jacket with a hood up and baggy white or cream pants please get in touch with us.”

Anyone with information can call police on 101 quoting reference number 0060 of August 20, 2014.