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Fancy dress shop in north London removes Nazi uniform from sale after complaints

The product description for the Gestapo replica uniform called the secret police force 'one of the most brutal organisations within the Nazi regime'

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A fancy dress shop in north London has stopped selling a Gestapo costume, ten months after being urged to remove it from sale.

The Escapade fancy dress shop in Camden confirmed that it would no longer be stocking this item, saying it “deeply apologised to anyone who took offence.”

However, the shop had repeatedly declined to remove the costume from sale, as Carly Minsky, a Jewish journalist, tweeted on Saturday.

“I’m horrified that you sell a Gestapo costume literally describing it as ‘the most brutal organisation within the Nazi regime’,” she tweeted at the shop.

“When my partner spoke to your staff, they dismissed his request to discontinue it saying ‘these costumes are just supposed to be fun’.”

Ms Minsky subsequently tweeted that the shop was "already called out for this" in February.

"They said no one had complained yet but if a Jewish person came in & complained they would apologise. Today we inadvertently put that to the test & their response was so far from an apology,” she wrote.

In February, the Daily Star ran an article about the shop selling the costume, which copies the uniform of an organisation which played a key role in the attempt to exterminate the Jews of Europe during the Second World War.

“Bearing his traditional black uniform, the Gestapo are amongst the most brutal organisations within the Nazi regime, making this costume one of the most recognisable anywhere in the world”, the description on the shop’s website read.

At the time, Mark Gardner, communications director of the CST, told the Star: “Obviously Jewish people would be hugely offended to see these two costumes for hire in Britain, and it would be extremely insulting if someone was to wear it.

"Not just Jewish people, but anyone who cares about decency, and the crucial role that Britain played in WW2 should be appalled to see that memory being besmirched, simply for a costume shop to make a bit of money."

Ms Minsky also tweeted that “two other people (who I don’t know personally) have phoned up to complain and both were dismissed and/or laughed at by staff.”

Bhupendra Maisuria, the director of Escapade, told the Jewish News that “in Britain we have a history of mocking dictators and through humour not forget the past or holding a grudge”.

But he said: “Context is very important when wearing such items and what is non offensive to one person can be highly offensive to another, as such we will no longer stock this item and deeply apologise to everyone who took offence.”

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