Employees in North Carolina were left shocked after a mural of pop star Tina Turner was defaced with a red swastika outside their record store.

The mural is outside Static Age Records in downtown Asheville and it was defaced after the store closed on the evening of December 23.

Store owner Jesse McSwain said someone unconnected to the store apparently covered the mural in a black sheet before he could address the situation.

Static Age called police and later contacted the Southern Poverty Law Center, WLOS reported.

The swastika was eight feet tall, and also drawn the wrong way, with three of the four arms pointing counterclockwise.

Employees at a record store in North Carolina say a mural of pop star Tina Turner has been defaced with a red swastika

The mural of Tina Turner is outside Static Age Records in downtown Asheville and it was defaced after the store closed on the evening of December 23.

McSwain told the Asheville Citizen Times: 'This is a widely inclusive, safe space. Hate speech will get you out the door.'

McSwain said he has never encountered any hateful images or threats toward the store.

'Occasionally some weird supremacist will rear their head around here,' he said of the Asheville area.

'Not sure how organized this act was. Perhaps more organized than I’d like to think about.'

Arieh Samson, who appears to be an employee at the store, posted a picture of the defaced mural on Facebook with the caption: 'Someone painted a swastika on the Tina Turner mural at Static Age Records. Unreal.

'This is a hate crime. And this swastika isn't even right. It has been reported to local authorities and the Southern Poverty Law Center. And Asheville locals are in full force to find the culprit. The dumba** left Vans shoe prints all over the place.'

McSwain claiming he is now thinking of creating a new mural of the Israeli artist Charlie Megira.

The record store uses its pull-down storefront to honor music legends. They have included Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Lemmy from Motörhead and Lou Reed.

Turner's mural was based on her character in the film 'Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome.'

The record store uses its pull-down storefront to honor music legends. They have included Screamin' Jay Hawkins, Lemmy from Motörhead and Lou Reed

Tina Turner and Mel Gibson are seen as their characters in the 1985 movie called 'Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome'

McSwain covered the image in black paint after removing a sheet used to conceal it.

A GoFundMe account was set up to pay for painting materials and for the artists' commission.

Additional funding will be donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center, to daily operations of the shop or to an organization of Tina Turner's choice.

An Asheville Police Department spokeswoman Christina Hallingse told the Citizen Times that the incident remains under investigation.

Anyone with information should call APD at 828-252-1110 or Buncombe County Crimestoppers at 828-255-5050.