RACIST vandals who targeted a German craftsmen's van have been slammed by church leaders.

A vehicle belonging to a team of German organ builders has been targeted twice in hate crime attacks.

The expert team has been installing a new pipe organ at St Mary's Church in Maldon.

But their van has been attacked in three separate incidents by mindless thugs.

At the end of their first visit to Maldon, the organ builders' van was targeted by vandals who 'keyed' the vehicle.

A sinister message saying "invaders will be repelled" had previously been left on the windscreen.

And on Friday night the van was pelted with eggs and flour.

The workmen discovered the damage when they returned to their van after eating dinner at the Queen Victoria pub.

Fortunately it hadn’t dried and the men were able to clean up the mess with the help of landlord James Burrell.

St Mary's musical director Colin Baldy said church leaders had been saddened by the attacks.

He said: "These organ builders are specialist craftsmen who are constructing something of real beauty and importance in our town.

"What sort of impression are they going to leave Maldon with. The church authorities and myself are really saddened by what has happened.

"It has taken us 12 and a half years to get to this stage and, just as we should be celebrating and enjoying this wonderful achievement, something like this happens to put a dampener on things.

"There has been a huge outpouring of disgust on Facebook at the action of the vandals who have done this.

"People, quite rightly, do not want these people speaking for them and for Maldon."

Mr Baldy said the German team had been stunned by what happened.

"It was such a shock," he said.

"They have been visiting over the past 12 years, as we have gradually brought the project to fruition.

"Five years ago, they brought over and installed a small temporary organ, which has now been moved to Flamstead in Hertfordshire.

"They had always felt very welcome here so it has been very traumatic being subject to three incidents of what can only be described as hate.

"Since they received a note telling them that 'invaders will be repelled' I can only assume the vandalism has occurred because they are German.

"It seems some people are still fighting a war that finished 75 years ago. I think their overwhelming feeling was one of sadness."

Work installing the new organ at St Mary's Church has been going on over the summer.

A new gallery has been built in the grade one listed building for the six-tonne instrument, which arrived on September 11 and will take six weeks to install.

A gofundme page has now been set up to help pay for the damage to the organ builders' van.

More than £500 was raised in just five hours.

To donate search for 'paintwork repairs' on gofundme.com.