Anti-Reform UK graffiti featuring abusive language was daubed across the front entrance and walls of Warwickshire County Council's headquarters this weekend.

Staff were deployed on Saturday morning (August 2) after spray paint and marker pens were used to plaster messages on the glass and brick frontages at Shire Hall, Market Place, Warwick, at some point after the authority closed for business on Friday. 

One sprayed in bright green paint on the glass panels at the entrance read 'F*** Nigel' while another in pen read 'F*** Reform'. 

The messages appear alongside what appear to be graffiti tags – signatures of an individual or group laying claim to the crime – 'Tonk' and 'FSC'.

Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage nationally, took political control of Warwickshire County Council as a result of the local elections in May. 

The party won 22 seats – effectively 23 with one of its proposed candidates standing as an independent in the build-up to the ballots due to political restrictions related to his work – which gave Reform more than any other single party but not enough for outright control.

They were backed to form an administration thanks to support from eight out of nine Conservative councillors but initial leader Cllr Rob Howard stood down from the top job after 41 days on health grounds. 

That meant an entire reset of who would take power with Cllr George Finch placed in interim charge before taking control permanently following the tightest of leadership elections on July 22, seeing off Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Jerry Roodhouse thanks to the chair's casting vote following a 23-23 draw in which the Conservatives did not vote either way. 

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There was controversy during Cllr Finch's spell in temporary charge when he told Warwickshire County Council's chief executive Monica Fogarty to take down the Progress Pride flag – a symbol of gay and trans rights – that had been flying at Shire Hall for Pride month within days of stepping in for Cllr Howard.

He has also brought forward plans for council-funded political assistants for the three biggest parties at a combined cost of up to £190,000 per year. 

Both Cllr Howard and Cllr Finch have also declared that the council will row back on net zero initiatives with all three controversies highlighted in a protest outside Shire Hall ahead of the meeting that saw Cllr Finch win the leadership on a permanent basis. 

Warwickshire Police, Warwickshire County Council and Cllr Finch have been contacted for comment.