Graffiti slogans bearing the words 'Meibion Glyndwr', 'Wales 4 the Welsh' and 'Welsh homes 4 Welsh people!', have appeared on the Vaynor housing estate in Newtown over the past few months.

The name Meibion Glyndwr comes from a Welsh nationalist group formed in the 1970s which opposed English settlers buying homes in Wales.

The group believed this pushed up prices, putting them beyond the reach of local Welsh people.

Newtown Mayor Sue Lawson criticised those responsible for the graffiti, saying: "I think it is very sad that people have got to go to these lengths. To deface anything is sad, but the comments they are making they are not right.

"We have never had anything like this before in Newtown.

"It is quite shocking actually. Why is it happening now? All the years I have lived in Newtown I have never come across anything like this.
"People come here because it is where they want to be, people should be proud of that."

Newtown Town Councillor Joy Jones, who represents Vaynor and lives on the estate, said she is sad that people have decided to scrawl graffiti in the area.

"I am just sad that someone wants to spoil the estate for other people, there is no need for vandalism, it's not fair.

"It is quite sad that someone wants to spoil where other people live. It is very sad to see, it makes the estate look shabby and we do not want that."

Meibion Glyndwr, meaning Sons of Glyndwr, was a Welsh nationalist movement which violently opposed the loss of Welsh culture and language.

From 1979 to the mid 1990s the group was linked to more than 200 fire bombings of properties from the Llyn Peninsula to Pembrokeshire.

The group is believed to have been formed in response to a North Wales housing crisis in the 1970s which saw large numbers of second homes bought up by English people pushing prices beyond the means of locals.