VANDALS have daubed a historic Norman building in Christchurch with graffiti.

The black graffiti was painted up high on the south wall of the historic building, meaning the vandals had to climb to cause the damage.

Norman House, known to some as Constables Hall, was built around 1160 to provide elegant and comfortable quarters for the lord of Christchurch.

In Norman times, many ordinary domestic buildings were built of timber. However, as this building was for the lord and of high-status, it was built of stone.

It is one of the few remaining examples of Norman domestic architecture in England.

As well as the graffiti, numerous pieces of litter were scattered around the grounds of the castle.

Former mayor of Christchurch and local historian Michael Hodges said: “I was shocked to see this graffiti. It is rare to see this building damaged. I have never seen anything on that building before.

“The people who did this could not only hurt themselves but the building and someone else by loosening stones that could fall and hurt somebody.”

Matt Hart, head of visitor operations for Dorset, said: “English Heritage cares for over 400 properties and sites on behalf of the nation – these range from historic houses to free, unmanned sites to ancient monuments.

“Only a very small number – under 20 – of sites, in particular the unmanned free sites, suffer from types of heritage crimes such as graffiti and antisocial behaviour.

“We take these incidents seriously and we are going to visit the site to inspect the damage.

“With the launch of the recent Heritage Crime initiative, we are working with the police and with local groups to tackle the problem.

“Such attacks undermine our enjoyment and understanding of our country’s shared heritage and history.”