An abusive slogan daubed across the front of Hammersmith's Polish centre at the end of June has been a talking point ever since it appeared.

Coming a matter of days after the EU referendum result declared Britain will leave the European Union, the incident was widely thought to be an attack on Poles that have settled in the UK as immigrants.

Indeed, the Met Police says it continues to treat the incident, which happened on the Polish Social and Cultural Association (POSK) in King Street on June 26, as a 'racially-motivated hate crime' .

However, some members of online forums and others in the local community have cast doubt on the theory the message was xenophobic, instead arguing the message, reading 'F*** you OMP' was actually aimed at a political think tank in Poland.

UKIP member and passionate Leave campaigner Alex Nieora, who has stood as a UKIP candidate in Ealing at previous elections, believes what was painted on the building is the result of tensions within the Polish community.

He said: “I don’t think it’s a racist slur against all Polish people.

UKIP's Alex Nieora does not thing the graffiti left on the Polish community centre was a hate crime

"Lots of Polish people are Eurosceptic. The Polish government and press are Eurosceptic and want to claw back a lot of powers from Brussels.

“But OMP is a Polish think tank which is centre-right and Eurosceptic and issued a statement congratulating Britain on its Brexit vote.

"As someone who speaks Polish and understands Polish politics it seems clear to me that the graffiti was sentiment against Polish people that supported Brexit."

'Not everyone who voted Leave is a racist'

He acknowledged there had been instances of racism and xenophobia since the referendum, but thought it unfair that everyone who voted Leave in the referendum is being tarred by the same brush.

He continued: “ I voted and campaigned and spent a lot of my own money to leave the EU because I believe we are better off outside, that it’s better for democracy.

“But it seems to be following a narrative that all Brexit people are Little Englanders and narrow-minded.

“It’s quite insulting to people that voted to leave the EU.”

Internet forum discussions have been full of people arguing in support of this theory, as well as others who suggest 'OMP' is merely a tag used by the graffiti artist.

getwestlondon has put this information to the police but is yet to hear back from the investigating team. However, a spokesperson said it was still being treated as a hate crime.

Following the incident, prominent politicians have visited POSK to offer support to the community.