​Mural depicting Nigel Farage alongside Adolf Hitler hits the headlines

An Edinburgh church which operates as a registered charity has stoked controversy after erecting a mural depicting Nigel Farage alongside Adolf Hitler.

St John’s church on Princes Street displays Adolf Hitler, Oswald Mosley, Nick Griffin and Nigel Farage with the question "Evolution?" in the top left hand corner.

The church has become well known for its murals over the last 30 years and according to St John’s website are “intended to provoke discussion and a response from passers-by on Princes Street”.

The mural has been painted by the Artists for Justice and Peace. The church website says the murals are planned by a small group including the rector and associate rector of St John's.

It is not the first time the church mural has courted controversy.

In 2002 a mural depicting Jesus on the crucifix flanked by Israeli troops was branded anti-Semitic.

Markus Duenzkofer, rector of St John’s, said: "We really wanted to make people engage and think and reanalyse.

"Advent is all about light and darkness and I think there's a lot of darkness and fear around immigration in this country and there some people who are using that fear to not bring in any light but to put in more darkness."