Organised crime gangs blamed for red paint and graffiti attacks on homes in London

Organised crime gangs have been accused of being responsible for red paint attacks on houses. Photograph: David Levene/The Guardian

Organised crime gangs trying to intimidate people in debt to loan sharks are being investigated as the possible culprits for mysterious red paint and graffiti attacks on homes.

Families in London have expressed concern after a spate of incidents in which red paint was splattered at night on the front of rows of houses, often accompanied with the daubing of numbers and the word “brothel”.