POLICE are investigating after a hammer and sickle emblem was graffitied onto a popular café.

The owners of Compass Point Eatery, in St George’s Road, Brighton, told The Argus they fear the vandalism was motivated by homophobia.

Alex Kinaj and his husband Joe Hulme own the venue and turned up to work to find the former Soviet Union symbol sprayed in black onto the window.

Mr Kinaj, 39, said: “We arrived and there was this sign, some sort of Russian symbol, and I looked it up and it just does not make any sense.

“People in the area know we are both partners, a couple, we are married. We just don’t really understand.

“Police came and they said: ‘Have you had any problems with anyone in the neighbourhood?’ We said: ‘No - the neighbourhood has been great, really welcoming, we have not had any problems with anyone.’ “It does not make any sense. It was not painted onto any other shops in the area.”

He said he had puzzled over the intent of the graffiti and reasoned it might be a homophobic message given the discrimination of gay people in Russia. The couple opened the restaurant about four months ago after moving to Brighton from New York.

Mr Kinaj added: “It has been fantastic. The neighbourhood has been very welcoming and it has been working out really well. So to get this has really affected me - and we live in Brighton for Christ’s sake, I just don’t get it.

“We were in the store today and we just thought: ‘We cannot work like this’ so we just left and closed for the day.

“I want people in the area to know that something like this can happen to you and to keep your eyes open.”

A Sussex Police spokesman confirmed they were called and said the spraying had happened at some point between 6.30pm on Wednesday, April 8 and 7.30am on Thursday, April 9.

He added: “Police are investigating the incident and also whether there was any homophobic intent aimed at the café owners.”

Any witnesses or anyone with information is asked to email 101@sussex.pnn.police.uk or call 101 quoting serial 191 of April 9.