Call for Hitler pencil to be withdrawn from Belfast auction

The founder of Holocaust Awareness Ireland has called for the sale of Adolf Hitler's pencil to be withdrawn from auction in Belfast next week.

Oliver Sears, who is the son of a Holocaust survivor, said that "making money out of such material is immoral and unethical".

The silver-plated pencil is one of several historical items going under the hammer at Bloomfield Auctions in east Belfast next week. It is believed to have been given to the former Nazi dictator by his partner Eva Braun as a gift for his 52nd birthday in 1941. It is expected to sell for up to €92,000.

The sale of Nazi memorabilia is illegal in some European countries, including Germany, Austria and France. However, there is no ban on such sales in the UK or Ireland.