'F*** the IRA' graffiti daubed at iconic dark hedges made famous by Game of Thrones
Graffiti has been daubed near the iconic dark hedges in Co Antrim made famous by Game of Thrones.
The trees are now renowned throughout the world by fans of the HBO series as they were featured as the Kings Road in the award-winning programme.
The avenue is one of the region's top tourist attractions, with Game of Thrones fans from all over the world travelling to the location to get a picture in front of the haunting backdrop.
The Dark Hedges and other locations featured in the series have seen visitor numbers surge due to the growing popularity of Game Of Thrones-themed tourist tours.
North Antrim DUP MLA Mervyn Storey who is also chair of the Dark Hedges Preservation Trust said it was "not the image they wanted visitors to see".
He told the Belfast Telegraph: "It's not what we want people to see when they come to the dark hedges. It's regrettable that people feel that they have to do that sort of activity in an area where we have thousands of visitors coming.
"We have many people from different nationalities coming to the area and there are proposals and plans to make sure it is improved over the next number of months.
"This is something that is unwelcome and unwarranted."
Mr Storey said he contacted the council this morning and that the graffiti was in the process of being removed.
Previously the area suffered during Storm Doris as one of the landmark trees were uprooted.
Before that road markings were mistakenly painted - however within hours of being contacted, Transport NI admitted it had made a mistake and removed them.
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