Campaigners have expressed outrage over the sale of Nazi memorabilia, including flags, SS armbands, and swastikas, at the annual Lytham 1940s Weekend in Fylde, Lancashire. The event, organized by Fylde Council, aimed to 're-live the 1940s wartime era with singing, dancing, weapons displays, historic vehicles, military charities and vintage traders.'

Photographs from the weekend event revealed items such as replicas of armbands and symbols worn by Nazi officers, including a black band bearing the skull and crossbones – the symbol of the Totenkopf or Death's Head Division, a Nazi paramilitary unit associated with concentration camps. Another item displayed was a sign featuring a Nazi eagle, used by the Kripo, the regime's criminal police force that enforced Nazi persecution.

While the sale of Nazi memorabilia is illegal in some European countries, it is not prohibited in the UK. However, major auction houses and online marketplaces typically refuse to trade such items due to ethical considerations.

The advocacy group Campaign Against Antisemitism described the items as 'grotesque' and stated it would be contacting the council. A spokesperson for the group emphasized that these items were part of a military apparatus responsible for the extermination of millions, and questioned why the event permitted the sale of hate symbols when the visitor information requested attendees not to wear anything that might offend.

The items included a black band emblazoned with a skull and crossbones - the symbol of the Totenkopf or Death's Head Division, a Nazi paramilitary unit tasked with guarding the regime's concentration and extermination camps

"These items belong in a museum, not in the hands of collectors who stand to profit from the symbols of a genocide," the spokesperson added. "The sale of hate symbols must carry repercussions."

This incident echoes past controversies, including a 2021 case where a BBC Bargain Hunt expert faced criticism for trading in Nazi memorabilia. More recently, a Scottish auction house defended its sale of Nazi items for their historical importance before reversing its decision and pledging not to sell such artifacts in the future. The Board of Deputies of British Jews described such sales as 'distressing, disturbing and hugely disrespectful'.