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There's been anger and dismay after three young black members of the England football team were racially abused after they missed penalties and lost to Italy in the European football championship finals.

A mural featuring one of them, Marcus Rashford, was covered in graffiti in Withington, Manchester.

But the local community decided to take action, and covered it in hearts and supportive notes which called him a "role model", "wonderful human" and "hero".

Rashford said the messages had left him "on the verge of tears."

Ed Wellard is from Withington Walls - the group behind the mural project.

"Rashford has got a lot of store in the bank for everything he's done, particularly locally. And the local community has responded with messages of support, solidarity, love and respect. It's a spontaneous, organic process of people turning up and putting messages on the wall."

(Photo: Local people add messages and hearts to the defaced mural. Credit: Getty Images)