Anti-racist graffiti appears outside Zara clothes shop in Princes Street

The graffiti was written on a wall by the entrance to the major clothes retailer.

Shoppers in Princes Street were greeted with a line of anti-racist graffiti this morning.

One message, written in purple on a wall by the entrance to the Zara store, read: "Racist Nazi scum - you are not welcome here. A.F.A."

The graffiti has appeared outside of the entrance to Zara in Princes Street. Pic: Lisa Ferguson.

A.F.A is the acronym for Anti-Fascist Action, an organisation founded in the UK in the mid-1980s and active in fighting far-right groups such as the National Front and British National Party.

The word 'police' has also been written in black in the middle of the message but it's unclear whether this was done by the same person or others.

On the other side of the clothes shop, another piece of graffiti said: "Say no to racism."

Councillor Amy McNeese-Mechan, vice convener of Culture and Communities, said: "Racism is completely abhorrent and has no place whatsoever in a diverse, inclusive, modern capital city. However, defacing private or public property with inflammatory graffiti is not acceptable. Council cleansing teams stepped in once we were made aware and this graffiti has now been removed."

Zara and police have also been contacted for comment.