A university campus laundrette has been daubed with the words “exterminate Jews” in German.

Law student Kate Douglas spotted the graffiti on a wall at the University of Essex’s campus in Colchester.

Juden ausrotten was scrawled in black marker pen, with the German for “you must die” above it in red pen.

The graffiti was quickly painted over by the university last week.

Ms Douglas said: “This was a phrase used by the Nazis and Hitler himself to call for the extermination of all Jews. I was disgusted and deeply saddened to find it.

“I am extremely concerned that there are students among us who would use the language of the Nazis to express their disgraceful antisemitic views.”

Rabbi Simon Mandel, East Anglia student chaplain, visited the campus following the incident and said Jewish students were remaining resolute.

“There could be a number of explanations for the graffiti, from someone who is genuinely antisemitic to someone who was bored waiting for their laundry. There have not been any other antisemitic incidents at Essex.

“There’s a small Jewish student community. The JSoc gets around a dozen people to its events and they all identify very strongly as being Jewish.”