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An ambulance had to be pulled from service after it was vandalised with graffiti.

The characters "T.17" appeared overnight in large writing on the side of the life-saving vehicle, along with two smaller tags.

The vehicle was parked at the Hayes Ambulance Station in west London.

Paramedic David Nicholson said the "disgusting" incident saw the van temporarily taken off the road for cleaning.

Many took to Twitter to express their disgust, though some questioned whether it was necessary to stop using the emergency vehicle over the tarnished paintwork.

@necnill @SkintLondon it won't be permanently off the road, just until it's cleaned! — David Nicholson (@LAS_Brent) March 19, 2015

A spokesman for the London Ambulance Service (LAS) said the ambulance was cleaned quickly and was already back in service.

He added that the LAS was working with police to catch the culprit.