A 74-year-old activist known as 'Graffiti Grandma' has been fined €300 (£260) plus court costs for painting over Neo-Nazi graffiti in the central German town of Eisenach.

The verdict of property damage handed to Irmela Mensah-Schramm has attracted fierce criticism, partly as it came on the day of the fatal synagogue attack in Halle.

Known in Germany as the ‘Sprayer-Oma’ or ‘Graffiti Grandma’, Ms Mensah-Schramm has spent more than three decades removing or painting over far-right slogans, swastikas and stickers, often creatively changing the meaning to one of positivity and inclusiveness.

Ms Mensah-Schramm was charged for painting hearts over graffiti which read ‘NS-Zone’, which translates as ‘Nazi Zone’, four times in December of 2018 in the village of Eisenach. A local resident filmed Mensah-Schramm’s actions and reported her to the police.

“I did not do anything wrong,” Mensah-Schramm told local broadcaster MDR Thüringen.

While Ms Mensah-Schramm has previously been charged with property damage and associated offences, this is the first time she’s been punished by a court.

The pensioner indicated she will appeal the ruling. Supporters have offered to cover her costs with crowd-funding campaigns launched online.

When handing down the fine, the court told Ms Mensah-Schramm that she could avoid the fine by paying €500 to local charity organisations. She refused, arguing that to do so would be an admission of guilt.