Men dressed as Nazi SS clash with furious locals as cops escort them off high street during Sheringham 1940s weekend
A GROUP of men dressed as Nazi SS death troopers sparked fury at a 1940s festival - before cops escorted them away following a fight.
Pictures show at least ten men in leather trench coats, SS markings on their collars, Swastikas and evil 'Totenkopf' skull badges.
Eyewitnesses claim the men were "laughing and joking" outside a pub at Sheringham 1940s Weekend in North Norfolk on Saturday.
But event marshals were forced to step in and police intervened when a furious member of the public attacked the WWII re-enactors.
Norfolk Police say one man had reported being assaulted amid the carnage, which the force were investigating.
There is no suggestion any of the men in the pictures were involved in the altercation.
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People at the event, which attracts around 25,000, many in period dress, said the men tainted a normally "joyous" day.
One fumed on Facebook: "I was surprised how upset I felt and think it was totally inappropriate at a joyous occasion."
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While a second added: "I witnessed them laughing and joking outside a pub.
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"My dad served throughout the entire war in the Royal Navy and I don't thunk he would have considered it appropriate."
The SS, or 'Schutzstaffel', was the leading paramilitary death squad in Hitler's Nazi Germany led by Heinrich Himmler.
They were the enforcers of ‘Aryan’ race ideology who rounded up Jews and other minorities for either immediate execution or concentration camps, which the SS ran.
The 'Totenkopf' skull worn by some of the men at the weekend was used by front line Waffen-SS fighters in the 3rd Panzer Division, comprised of Hitler's most hellbent fanatics.
One attendee claimed German uniforms were "OK"; but the SS uniforms were "disrespectful and inappropriate".
The men say they were from re-enactors The Eastern Front Living History Group, who said in a statement: "We were wearing Waffen SS infantry uniforms displaying national shields and insignia of the countries portrayed.
"Not one member of the group portrayed a German.
"We were a quarter of the way down the high street when a guy who was highly intoxicated approached a member of the group and assaulted him. He was foaming at the mouth - it was very scary.
"He then attacked me and pushed me screaming about Jewish persecution and his heritage saying it was disrespectful.
"I said to him I understood his point of view, but what we portray is a million miles from the point which was upsetting him.
"We do battle re-enactments, displays and educational visits across the UK, raising money for charity for wounded soldiers so they can have artificial limbs.
"We represent the western European nations that fought against Stalin and communism during WWII."
A spokesman for the festival organisers say German uniforms are permitted, as long as they do not "promote the Nazis".
He told the the incident had been a "misunderstanding" and that the group was there to "commemorate the German people".
While North Norfolk Railway, which runs separate rail events over the weekend, told The Sun: "We have a long-standing policy of not allowing exhibitors or visitors in Axis uniforms and this is monitored at the entrance gates.
"Our security team did not encounter anyone arriving in such uniforms throughout the weekend."
Karen Pollock CBE, Chief Executive of Holocaust Educational Trust told The Sun the outfits were "shocking and offensive".
She added: "Nazis and members of the SS – the very people responsible for the horrific ill-treatment and murder of 6 million Jewish men, women and children during the Holocaust.
"These people should not be glorified – and it sounds like the majority in attendance agree."
A police spokeswoman said: "A police officer on patrol in Sheringham came across a confrontation in the High Street on Saturday at about 5.30pm, involving a man and a group of people who had been attending an event.
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"The officer intervened and quickly resolved the incident.
"One man reported being assaulted and this is being investigated further. No one was injured during the incident."
