A Nazi flag flown outside a former British soldier's home has been taken down after a backlash amongst the community.
Billy Brown erected the red and white flag with black and white swastika in his back garden.
But his neighbours were left disgusted after he put up the flag on Monday.
One resident also claimed to have heard German music coming from Mr Brown's home in Walker, Newcastle, in the late morning and early afternoon.
His chosen melody was marching tune Erika, which was written in the 1930s and used by the German military, reports ChronicleLive.
One neighbour, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "He's always got different flags but that is the first time I've seen a Nazi flag. I'm in complete and utter shock. I'm disgusted."
Another resident, who did not want to be named, said: "Other neighbours are as disgusted as I am. It gives the street a bad name as we’ll all be tarred with the same brush.
"Walker is a lovely mix of people so there will be a lot upset at seeing this bigoted flag.
"They have been singing loudly songs in German but, as I do not speak German, I do not know if they were Nazi songs or something else."
A third person, who lives nearby, added: "That's wrong. He can't be doing things like that no matter how old he is. It's offensive - it's naughty. It's very naughty."
The Swastika is wildly recognised as a symbol of the Nazi Party.
Between 1933 and the end of World War II in 1945, the party led by Adolf Hitler controlled German life and killed millions of Jews across Europe.
Billy, who says he was in the British Army for six years and served in Germany, claims he put the controversial Nazi flag up for a relative who was interested in history and World War II.
He said the flag had been posted through his door by an unknown person.
The former soldier checked the internet to see if Nazi flags were banned before flying it in his garden.
He then made the decision after checking that they were legal.
The former soldier, who has lived at the address for 49 years, said: "The flag was pushed through the letter box one Saturday.
"I was a bit concerned I would upset people. I was worrying with it being a dodgy flag - and it doesn't get much more dodgy than that.
"If it had been banned I wouldn't have done it. I'm going off what somebody said on the computer."
Billy, who was also a shipyard worker, has numerous flags from different countries he puts up in his garden.
He said: "I put different flags up. It's something to do.
"I had a Sierra Leona one, I've just took it down. I have got storage boxes, about three or four of them, and I just pick one out."
He puts up flags from around the world but he wouldn't put a Union flag up.
After being asked why? He replied: "With the state of this country, you're kidding?"
The resident took the Nazi flag down at around lunch time on Tuesday after becoming aware of the backlash by neighbours.
He added: "I'll still fly my flags but this one is definitely gone. I'll put it in a black bag."
