Selfridges has removed a globe from sale after customers complained that the product appeared to omit Israel, while labelling Palestine in capital letters.

The illuminated rotating globe had been on sale at the department store’s Oxford Street flagship before being withdrawn.

Max Radford, a pro-Israel activist, noted on social media that he had issued a formal complaint with the retailer, and accused Selfridges of “cancelling” Israel.

“When I complained, they initially said that Israel was indicated by a number with the country listed in the key,” he said in a video released to social media.

“In that case, why is ‘Palestine’ spelt out on the map at the expense of Israel?”

The retailer said it investigated the item with the supplier, which told Selfridges the globe used a cartographic method in which some smaller countries were marked by number and listed separately in a key, rather than being named directly on the map.

However, the product drew criticism from shoppers who argued the labelling appeared inconsistent.

In a statement, Selfridges said: “It’s extremely important to us that we create an environment where everyone feels welcome and it would never be our intention to cause offence.”

The retailer added that the item had been removed from sale “several weeks ago”.

The incident has prompted backlash online, with some customers calling the globe “factually incorrect” and accusing the luxury department store of stocking an offensive product.

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