A handbag decorated with swastikas was removed from shelves at a high street fashion store yesterday.

Bosses at the Zara chain apologised after complaints about the £39 handbag — which has a green swastika at each corner.

The bag — which also has flowers and bicycles stitched into it — was criticised by anti-racism campaigners, who called its design "abhorrent".

Rachel Hatton, 19, from Ashford, Kent, said she couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the symbol of the Nazi party on her bag.

"I really had to look twice. It's identical to the symbol Hitler used to cause fear throughout Europe. I took it back and got my money refunded." Denis Fernando, the national secretary of Unite Against Fascism said: "It is completely offensive and abhorrent to millions and millions of people."

A Zara spokesman said yesterday: "We did not realise swastikas appeared on some of these bags.

"Of course we apologise to anyone who was offended by the bag, and we will be withdrawing it from all our stores."