Update: A Longford councillor has told of the shock and dismay in the town at the vandalism of a local GP’s premises which was covered in anti-abortion graffiti, writes Vivienne Clarke.

“This is a very busy GP practice and it is very distressing for all the patients accessing services today,” Cllr Joe Flaherty told RTE’s News at One.

The tone of the graffiti is “anti-choice, anti-abortion” and included words such as nazi, murder, death and had racist tones, he said.

The councillor said: “Dr Ali is embedded in the town, he made Longford his home. He has lived here for 30 years and also has a practice in Lanesboro.

“The comments were very personal towards Dr Ali.”

Cllr Flaherty said that the people of Ireland had gone out and voted and legislation was now on the statute books. He said that he did not think the vandalism was a Longford issue but a national issue as he had heard of car tyres being slashed in Cork.

Longford councillor says "mindless minority" are responsible for anti-abortion graffiti attack on GP's surgery https://t.co/Q6xevLnyrT pic.twitter.com/RyEVqFmoHS — Shannonside FM News (@shannonsidenews) February 18, 2019

When asked if he thought ‘set back’ distances might help, he said that in this case a set back distance or safe zone would not have made a difference “to people who crept about in the dark and daubed these words across a building”.

Earlier: GP surgery daubed with anti-abortion graffiti

A GP practice has been sprayed with anti-abortion graffiti in Longford.

The incident has seen the Longford Medical Centre on the outskirts of Longford town daubed with the graffiti overnight.

It criticises doctors, the media and Government policy on abortion.

Shannonside News report that the surgery belongs to a long-serving GP, and it remains closed this morning.

A Garda statement said: "Gardaí have not received a complaint regarding an incident overnight at a premises at Deanscurragh, Co. Longford."