Vandals have daubed unsightly graffiti on the walls of a nationally-known historic monument which attracts thousands of tourists from home and abroad

Fluorescent scribble has been sprayed onto the side of the ancient wall bordering Rochester Castle.

Urgent moves are now being taken to get rid of the red and green etchings on the Kentish ragstone overlooking Boley Hill.

Ward councillor Stuart Tranter (Con) described the graffiti as "absolutely appalling".

He said: "I am aware and it was reported to the council by the resident who brought it to my attention. This is a scheduled ancient monument, so will need cleaning with care.

"If any residents spot graffiti in public areas it is easy to report online, and our teams will deal with it quickly. I am chasing early removal in this case."

A spokesman for Medway Council has confirmed it is making arrangements to get the graffiti removed, under guidelines and advice from the owners, Historic England for removing graffiti from historic sites.

The Norman tower-keep, one of the finest architecture examples of its era in England, was built about 1127 by William of Corbeil, Archbishop of Canterbury, with the encouragement of Henry I. Consisting of three floors above a basement, it still stands 113 feet high. Attached is a tall protruding forebuilding, with its own set of defences to pass through before the keep itself could be entered at first floor level.

In 1215, garrisoned by rebel barons, the castle endured an epic siege by King John. Having first undermined the outer wall, John used the fat of 40 pigs to fire a mine under the keep, bringing its southern corner crashing down. Even then the defenders held on, until they were eventually starved out after resisting for two months. The siege was told in the film Ironclad starring James Purefoy

Rebuilt under Henry III and Edward I, the castle remained as a viable fortress until the sixteenth century.

In the past few years, rough sleepers have pitched tents in the castle moat forcing the council to use eviction powers to move them on.