Woolworths apologises, removes racist singlet

Supermarket giant Woolworths has apologised for stocking a racist singlet baring the slogan "If you don't love it, leave" beneath the Australian flag.

A photo of the singlet found in Cairns went viral on social media after being shared on Twitter by Canberra man George Craig, the ABC reports.

Mr Craig was on a post-season fishing trip with his football team when found the singlet on yesterday.

"@woolworths cairns, selling racist singlets for everyday low prices," he wrote.

The 29-year-old told the ABC: "I was with a bunch of blokes on a footy trip, not one thought it was appropriate."

A Woolworths spokesman said the singlet had been "inadvertently" stocked at the Cairns store, with another one in Sydney but the company considered the garments "totally unacceptable".

"The singlet was not one we ordered. It was delivered to us in error and should never (have) been allowed on our shelves.

"We will review our processes to ensure this sort of error cannot happen again."

Woolworth's mistake followed similar slights by Aldi and Big W earlier this year when the stores removed "inflammatory" and "culturally insensitive" T-shirts from sale following large social-media backlashes.

The retail chains were forced to remove shirts that proclaimed "Australia: Established 1788" in the weeks before Australia Day, discounting tens of thousands of years of Aboriginal settlement.