A GP surgery has urged patients to do their part in getting the Covid-19 vaccine after vandals plastered the front door of the practice with anti-vaccination stickers.

The “idiotic and dangerous” messages were found stuck to the front door of Mersea Island Medical Practice this morning and staff struggled to remove them.

In a post, the surgery said: “This morning we have been greeted by anti-Covid vaccination stickers, plastered all over our front door.

“A quick attempt at removing these stickers by the staff prior to welcoming our first patients this morning has proven unsuccessful.”

“To save us wasting precious NHS resources on both trawling through our CCTV to identify the culprit and then removing these stickers, perhaps that person might like to return to remove the stickers.”

The surgery warned if the stickers remained into the afternoon, the CCTV footage would be handed over to the police and a report of criminal damage will be filed.

The surgery added: “Whilst we appreciate some may deem this an over-reaction, the practice takes a zero tolerance approach to such matters and feels strongly against the intentions of the perpetrator.

“The intended messages on these stickers are aiming to spread idiotic and dangerous messages, with the intention to undermine the huge efforts and success of the NHS Covid vaccination programme.”

Practice manager Zoey Hilliard said she had been informed other areas had been targeted with similar stickers.

She said the partners would be consulted before a decision would be made on whether to report the matter to the police “The adhesive they have used has left a residue behind which needs removing,” she said.

“Thankfully we had lots of support from the community straight away, people have come together to help us and have offered to clean the door.

“We have heard we are not the only location to have been targeted.”

She added: “We want people to continue to receive the vaccine, to attend clinics when asked to and to do their part.

“People need to listen the advice that is out there and readily available on the NHS website.”

In March last year, the death of a Mersea patient from Covid-19 was believed to have been the first known fatality due to the virus in north Essex.

The death was understood to be the third in the county.