A male resident of Burleigh Waters allegedly flew the red Swastika flag, an insignia personally designed by Adolf Hitler, in his backyard on Anzac Day.

His neighbours, Patrick, 80, and Doreen Hinks, 79, reported the flag to Queensland police, but were told no action could be taken.

“Our grandson is in the army so this really bothers us,” Mr Hinks told the Gold Coast Bulletin.

• Woman defends Muslim couple
• Govt ‘silent’ on racist attacks
• Why there’s no defence for racism

Mr and Mrs Hinks tried to get the flag taken down, but police could do nothing. Photo: Gold Coast Bulletin

“We just want someone to come around and talk to the guy so we don’t have to see a Swastika from our living room,” he said.

“It is very offensive and he doesn’t know if some of our neighbours are Jewish and lost people in the holocaust.”

The red flag was a prominent symbol of the fascist Nazi Party, against whom Australian troops fought during World War II.

In his book Mein Kampf, which was until recently outlawed in Germany, Hitler described his favourite flag as having “a red background, a white disk, and a black swastika in the middle”.

Prime Minister Robert Menzies declared war on Nazi Germany in 1939.

The neighbour reportedly displayed the flag to retaliate against the ‘fluttering noise’ made by Mr and Mrs Hinks’ Australian flag, the couple claimed.

“It is not against the law and I’m not doing anything wrong,” the man told the Gold Coast Bulletin.