VANDALS scrawled a vile sectarian slogan inside a Catholic church during a Mass in Glasgow.

The words were written on the back of the main door of Sacred Heart Church in Bridgeton yesterday morning.

Father Stephen Dunn, the parish priest, contacted police after he discovered the graffiti as worshippers filed out of the church in Old Dalmarnock Road.

Officers were today studying CCTV footage from a camera near the entrance in a bid to catch the culprits.

Fr Dunn described the incident as a "sectarian attack" and said vandals had targeted the church in Old Dalmarnock Road on a number of occasions.

He said: "The vandalism had so far been confined to the exterior of the building.

"The fact that the interior of the church is now being attacked is very worrying and it is a strain.

"Why can't people leave their neighbours alone to follow their religion without having to attack a church which is sacred to Catholics and all Christians?"

Security at the church is now being reviewed in the wake of the vandalism.

Church leaders have appealed for the police to step up patrols in the area.

Fr Dunn, who moved to the parish three-years-ago, handed over tapes from the church's internal camera yesterday but is looking to improve security outside.

He added : "I am having our own security cameras mounted to try to help the police. I am certainly going to fight this sectarian attack on our church property."

Sacred Heart is the Catholic parish for Bridgeton and Dalmarnock areas of the city.

A police spokeswoman said: "We can confirm we received a report of vandalism. It's understood the vandalism took place around 10.30am yesterday."