VANDALS have struck in Tullibody again, this time marring a historic spot that dates back more than 200 years.

The porch at the Auld Kirk, thought to have been built in the early 1800s, has been marked in various spots by bright red spray paint.

The graffiti on the structure surrounding the church was discovered by Chris Calder, chair of Tullibody History Group, at the beginning of last week.

She came across it when she was opening the building late morning on Monday, August 13, in preparation for a visit from some local youngsters.

When appraising the area before children attended from the summer playscheme for a tour the following day, she spotted a number of drawings on the walls.

She told the Advertiser: "It's just four spray paints, but the fact that they have done it on a religious building, or ex-religious building is disgusting really.

"I have no idea who did it or when it was done."

The church, which was established in 1149, is of historical significance to Tullibody, which Chris says is one of the earliest settlers in Scotland, going back to 4000 BC.

The town has encountered a number of problems with vandalism and similar incidents over a fairly short period of time.

In May, a van was deliberately set on fire in Tullibody and last year, the war memorial was spray painted in the lead-up to Remembrance Sunday.

Locals were left furious when the monument was found scrawled with blue paint on the eve of Armistice Day.

Graves in the nearby cemetery were also damaged by vandals last year.

The latest round of graffiti blights an area that the history group has spent much time improving, with a long-term project to renovate the kirk-yard reaching completion in 2016.

Over the years the graveyard, which dates back to at least the 15th century, had fallen into disrepair and many of the markers had toppled over, or become damaged.

Chris would like to find out who defaced the porch and to make sure that this kind of thing does not happen again.

She said: "It’s quite disgusting really that somebody would do that on a religious building.

"Also, we have tried to encourage people to look after their history and heritage, not spoil it.

"I would like somebody to own up to it and obviously we would want to get it cleaned off and not encourage any more graffiti.

"And obviously if people see anybody; you can actually dive into that little porch and really not be seen, that's the unfortunate thing about it."

The vandalism has been reported to the Clackmannanshire Heritage Trust, which owns the building.