Oxford's links to Palestine have been covered up on an official welcome sign of the city's twinning cities.

The sign on Abingdon Road lists all of Oxford's twin cities but Ramallah in Palestine has been covered in yellow spray paint.

Ramallah is a fairly recent addition to the twin cities list, with relationships being established in 2019.

Oxford resident Rosanna Perez said: "I was shocked and saddened to see the twinning sign has been vandalised.

"There is no place for hate in Oxford and we trust this will be dealt with appropriately. Stay safe."

Oxford Mail: Palestine spray-painted over on Oxford welcome sign

One person, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "Considering the criminal nature of this violation as well as the horrific events currently taking place in Gaza with huge loss of civilian lives, this is not acceptable but totally abhorrent."

In March 2022, Oxford's Russian twin town Perm was officially removed from the welcome sign.

The city council made the move to strike it from the sign after ending their twinning agreement due to public pressure. 

Oxford and Perm had been twinned since 1995.

Meanwhile, Oxford was twinned with Leiden in 1946, Bonn in 1947, León in 1986, Grenoble in 1989, Wroclaw in 2018 and Padua in 2019.

Twin towns, also known as sister cities, constitute a legal or social agreement between two places in different geographical locations which help to foster cultural ties.

The idea started after the Second World War as a way to repair damaged relationships between France, Germany, and the UK.

Oxford City Council has confirmed the sign will be cleaned and the spray paint removed by tomorrow (January 20).