Police are investigating after posters of children abducted by Hamas in Israel were defaced with ‘Hitler’ moustaches.

The posters, headed ‘kidnapped’ and promoting a hashtag ‘#BringThemHome’ have been put up around London as part of a movement to highlight the Israeli civilians taken on October 7.

One of the posters, showing three-year-olds Emma and Yuli Cunio, was defaced at Finchley Road with a single eyebrow and a moustache like that of Nazi leader Adolf Hitler.

Dan Hodges, a commentator for the Mail on Sunday, shared the image and said: “This is what the Jewish community is facing. Not in 1936. In 2023. Here. In London.”

There have been reports of similar acts around Finchley Road, between Hampstead and Golders Green.

A spokesperson for the Metropolitan Police said: “Police have been made aware of a number of photos that have been posted on social media today of posters which have been defaced in the Finchley Road area.

“We fully understand the distress this will cause to local communities. Police are investigating the incident and are treating it as a hate crime.

“Local officers have immediately responded and will be focused on the area to carry out reassurance patrols.”

On X, formerly known as Twitter, the Met added: “There is no place in London for this behaviour.”

The Community Security Trust, a charity against antisemitism, said: “This cannot be allowed to stand.”

Anyone with information is asked to contact police by calling 101 quoting CAD2459/25OCT23.