A Bexley bus charity was appalled to find one of its vehicles had been vandalised overnight with derogatory slurs painted on its windows.

A photo shows the word 'Freaks' was spray-painted onto one of the windows by the vandal.

CEO of Bexley Accessible Transport Scheme (BATS), Lorraine Evans, described the insensitive act as a "sad day" for the not-for-profit business and is "upsetting for the people who need to use it."

BATS, which is based in Crayford, provides an accessible bus service for elderly and disabled people who struggle to use conventional modes of public transport.

Speaking on the incident, Ms Evans explained how an act such as this one can disrupt services and can leave users disappointed.

"We obviously couldn't take the vehicle out today as we had to get it sent off to be cleaned. We actually had a booking for 16 people due to use it today as well.

"This means that we now have to hire another in to cover that booking because we don't want to let them down," she said.

She added she is unaware of how much it will cost to have the graffiti removed but was told it will be a delicate act to remove the paint without scratching the windows.

"It's not a very nice way to start the year. It's dreadful," she said.

However, Ms Evans was adamant this will fail to dampen the charity's spirits as it spent the Christmas period successfully raising funds and delivering hampers to members.