Vandals shatter windows and hurl red paint over Barclays Bank in Bolton - days after pro-Palestine activists targeted the same firm's branches in Manchester and Brighton

A Barclays branch in Bolton has had its windows smashed and red paint thrown over and inside the building with police on the scene.

Palestine Action have claimed responsibility for the attack, along with another in Bradford, demanding Barclays 'divests from Israel’s biggest weapons firm, Elbit Systems'.

Greater Manchester Police are investigating after cordoning off the bank this morning, but have made no arrests yet.

It comes within weeks of both Manchester and Brighton having branches vandalised by pro-Palestine activists. 

Pictures showed how the Bolton shop front was left with shattered windows after the incident in the early hours today. They also showed how vandals had carpeted the outside walls and interior of the branch with paint - which was smeared across TV screens and marketing material.

No group has so far taken responsibility for the vandalism, but it follows two similar incidents over the weekend in Manchester city centre, claimed by protest group Palestine Action, where four people were arrested.

A spokesperson from Greater Manchester Police said: 'At 2.54am this morning, we were called following reports of criminal damage and red graffiti over a building on Market Street in Bolton.

'No arrests have been made and enquiries are ongoing.'

Members of Palestine Action have been targeting Barclays branches across the country over its alleged links to the Israeli weapons manufacturer Elbit Systems.

But Barclays has denied that it is financing and investing in businesses that supply weapons to the Israeli army to fight the war in Gaza.

Instead, the bank said it trades in shares of a wide range of listed companies in response to its clients' instructions - and is not itself a direct investor.

A statement on Barclays website states: 'We have been asked why we invest in nine defence companies supplying Israel, but this mistakes what we do.

'We trade in shares of listed companies in response to client instruction or demand and that may result in us holding shares.

'We are not making investments for Barclays and Barclays is not a 'shareholder' or 'investor' in that sense in relation to these companies.

'For the reasons mentioned, it is not true that we have made a decision to invest in Elbit.

'We may hold shares in relation to client driven transactions, which is why we appear on the share register, but we are not investors.'