A MARKET stall has been criticised for selling deactivated guns, daggers, knives, bayonets and Nazi memorabilia, including swastikas and medals.

The stall, at Basildon Market, is open three days a week and sells the goods beside stalls selling children’s playing cards and toys.

Angela Smith, MP for Basildon and East Thurrock, is currently campaigning against the sale of dangerous knives. She said: “I think most of us find knives and guns being sold so openly, very distasteful. I think the law should look into this.

“I also have a real problem with replica or deactivated guns. If one was pointed at me I wouldn’t know if it was activated or deactivated.

“I question why we need to sell them and why anyone would need to buy one.”

Meanwhile Jean Brown, 85, widow of former submariner Eddie Brown, who spent the Second World War fighting the Nazis, was equally unhappy.

She said: “I don’t think they should be selling Nazi memorabilia.

“Thousands of people like my husband fought to keep out the Nazis all those years ago and we don’t want their swastikas and medals on our streets.”

However, the middle-aged market trader, who refused to give his name, defended his stall.

He said: “The police have come and checked me. I’m not breaking any laws. I sell to collectors, not yobs.

“If I don’t like the look of someone I don’t sell them anything.

“The knives I sell are not the sort of knives people get stabbed with. Why would you pay £100 for a knife to stab someone and then throw it away?

“You’d go to Woolworths instead and buy one for £2.99.”

Paul Dawson, manager of Basildon Market, stood by the trader. He said: “The merchandise sold on the stall is under cover, so children can’t just pick them up and injure themselves. It’s a military memorabilia stall and you’ll find them up and down the country.”

Speaking about the sale of Nazi memorabilia, Basildon Council leader Malcolm Buckley said: “Of course it depends on what the people do with them when they purchase them.

“If you buy a medal with a swastika on it doesn’t mean you endorse what the Nazis did.”

Police confirmed the trader was not breaking the law.

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