Top prize for Hitler at Austrian school...

What was this teacher thinking of???

The head teacher of an Australian school has issued an apology after awarding a child dressed as Adolf Hitler a prize for best costume.

At a fancy dress event at the Catholic primary school in Perth a pupil arrived dressed as the Nazi leader. Staff judged the costume, complete with swastika, as worthy of first place in the competition.

After parents complained about the decision the school sent out a letter of explanation, describing the costume and prize as “inappropriate.”

But the head teacher said it was not “sinister” as the children had been asked to dress as a well-known figure.

He said: “Hitler was a fairly famous person.”

The head teacher said “in retrospect” he would have acted differently, but added: "To me it's a mountain out of a molehill. I just think it's a one-off thing.”