A JEWISH couple were appalled to find a Nazi swastika armband on sale in an antiques shop.

The shoppers were gobsmacked to find the Nazi armband on display in a cabinet at Arundel Bridge Antiques in High Street in the town.

Owners of the shop have since apologised and remove the item from the display.

The couple from London, who didn’t want to be named, claim an employee brushed off their concerns and justified its presence because it "represents the social-history of the area".

Their daughter Anna Slater speaking on their behalf said: “My mother was gobsmacked. She was surprised in this day and age people are selling stuff like this.

“The family is Jewish so they were even more horrified, but for somebody that isn’t Jewish it is still something that’s quite horrifying to find.”

The armbands were brought in by the Nazi Party in 1939 to distinguish between the rank of party members. The swastika was the main symbol of the Nazi regime responsible for the deaths of 11 million in death camps, including 6 million Jews.

The 28-year-old added: “Maybe the shop is selling it innocently because they genuinely think it is a historical item, but it makes you think who would buy that sort of thing.

“You don’t want Nazi sympathisers to go out and buy it.”

Jewish advocacy groups claim antique dealers selling Nazi memorabilia is in poor taste.

Fiona Sharpe, co-founder of Sussex Friends of Israel, said: “I think most members of the Jewish community think Nazi memorabilia is in poor taste at best and highly offensive at its worst.

“To hear Nazi swastika armbands are being sold in Sussex is quite sad. Let’s not forget Nazi memorabilia is not only offensive to Jewish people, but people of colour, LGBT, Gypsy and traveller and disabled communities.”

The shop owners said they were selling the swastika on behalf of a war memorabilia trader and have withdrawn the Nazi armband from the cabinet he rents.

Arundel Bridge Antiques co-owner Roger Humber said: “We have 40 different tenants who rent space from us and we have advised the tenants we don’t want anything like that on display. I have sympathy with what the lady was saying so we reacted straight away."

Co-owner Terence Bond said: “We have been established for over 50 years and it is a great business supported by the local community and last thing we want to do is offend anybody.

“We have lots of items and if one goes under the radar we’re sorry about that, but it will not happen again.”

The owners also pointed out war time memorabilia is found in other antique stores in the market town.

Reacting Ms Sharpe added: “I’m surprised they’re claiming it’s common place for antique stores to sell this type of material - it is plain offensive.”