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Neo-Nazis arrived at a pub in Greater Manchester to celebrate Adolf Hitler’s birthday with flags and a cake decorated with a swastika.
Members of the north west branch of the far-right British Movement gathered at the Duke of Edinburgh pub in Oldham on Saturday 23 April.
The venue was reportedly unaware of the party and contacted the police the following day. The pub’s operator, Craft Union Pubs, said it was “absolutely appalled” by the event.
Images shared on British Movement Northern branch’s website showed three men with their faces pixelated holding a flag emblazoned with a swastika, SS bolts and the Iron Cross. The picture was digitally altered to include a black and white image of Hitler.
In another image, five men could be seen posing behind a flag with a British Movement logo. On the group’s Telegram feed, a picture was also reportedly shared of a cake decorated with a swastika.
CCTV footage inside the pub showed the men unfurling the flags of pictures before quickly hiding them.
In a post on its website, British Movement Northern Region said: “On a gorgeous sunny afternoon in Greater Manchester, a platoon of Northwest British Movement met up to celebrate the 136th birthday of Uncle A.
“It certainly didn’t take long for the dimly lit interior of the Oldham boozer to be filled with the warm laughter of comrades old and new. Tables were filled with a plethora of drinks: frosty pints of beer, fruity cocktails, schooners, and birthday cake!”
Greater Manchester Police said it was treating the incident with “utmost sensitivity and severity”. Officers are investigating whether it constitutes a public order offence involving displaying material intended to stir up racial hatred.
A spokesperson added: “Police in Oldham are investigating reports that a group attended a pub on Market Street in Royton in possession of Nazi memorabilia.”
Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton MP Jim McMahon described the celebration as “a disgraceful insult to the memory of the nearly 100 local men who died fighting Nazism”.
He in a post on X: “This vile display is a stark reminder that the threat of the far right is real. Glorifying an ideology responsible for the deaths of millions has no place in our community.
“These acts of hate and division must always be called out and rooted out.”
In a statement to The Independent, Craft Union Pubs said: "A group entered the Duke of Edinburgh on Saturday under the pretext of celebrating a birthday and gathered in a back area of the venue.
"The group actively concealed their clothing and their activities during the visit and as a result, their actions were not visible to staff at the time.
"The operator who runs the pub was therefore unaware of what had taken place until after the event. Upon becoming aware, the operator reported the matter to the police immediately.
"To be clear, we are absolutely appalled at what took place. We do not and will not tolerate this kind of behaviour, and these people aren't welcome in any of our venues.
"We are focused on uniting our local communities, not dividing them. We are supporting our operator to look after their team, who are understandably incredibly distressed by the incident."
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