A swastika which was carved into a golf course in Surrey is being treated as a hate crime by police.

Thames Ditton and Esher Golf Club said it had been hit by a spate of vandalism, with the most recent incident leaving members “shocked and distressed”.

Rabbi Alex Goldberg, from Guildford Synagogue, said he was “deeply concerned” about the incident – which Surrey Police labelled as “racially aggravated criminal damage”.

Although the symbol has been used by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains, it is also associated with the Nazi party.

Surrey Police said it visited the site on 18 February and all lines of enquiry were being explored.

The force is also appealing for anyone with information about the incident to get in contact.

Lynette Nusbacher, who is a lay reader at the North West Surrey Synagogue in Weybridge, says it is “shocking that people have got this much hatred”.

She says she is “glad that people are damaging grass and not hurting people”.

Rabbi Goldberg said: “The carving of a swastika is a blatant act of hate, one that carries painful historical weight for Jewish communities and for all those who stand against antisemitism and intolerance.

“This is not just an attack on a golf club, it’s an attack on the values of our society.”

He has encouraged the community to “work together to challenge and condemn such actions”.

Rabbi Lev Taylor, from Kingston Liberal Synagogue in Thames Ditton, said he believed it was an isolated incident and that the local Jewish community felt “safe and integrated”.

He added: “As a synagogue, we have great relationships with our fellow faith communities.

“While we must always be on guard against antisemitism, we feel that our neighbours have our backs, and we have theirs.”

Mark Rodbard, the golf club’s general manager, said the vandalism had sent “shock waves through the club”.

He added: “This mindless vandalism doesn’t just affect our golfers, but the thousands of people who walk their dogs, or enjoy the common land, every week.”