THE signatures of one of the most infamous figures in world history - Adolf Hitler - is controversially set to be auctioned off in Ledbury this weekend - on the eve of Remembrance Sunday.

Hitler, who led Germany into the Second World War and headed the Nazi regime which killed millions, will have his signature go under the hammer at 10am on Saturday at Ledbury's HJ Pugh Auctioneers in Bye Street.

But John Hewlett, chairman of the Royal British Legion's Worcester branch, branded the move as insensitive.

"I'd be very dubious about it and I think it should have been held off to another date," he said.

"I think it'll upset a lot of people who lost relatives during the war."

The sale of the Nazi leader's signature - on a postcard to Liberal politician Dr Thomas Jones - is expected to attract "considerable" interest.

Dr Jones was a member of former Prime Minister David Lloyd George's Liberal party who visited Hitler in 1936 at his Bavarian retreat, The Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgarten, before the ensuing war in a bid to calm world tensions.

The postcard - dated Saturday, September 5 1936 - features a picture of Hitler walking up a hill holding hands with a young girl and has his signature on the front.

It came from a deceased estate in South Wales and is expected to fetch between £500 and £1,000.

"It's very rare these things come up for sale," said auctioneer James Pugh.

"We're very excited we've got it up for sale as we've never had anything of this significance before."

Also going under the hammer is the signature of one of Britain's most famous engineers - Isambard Kingdom Brunel, born in Portsmouth in 1806.

He went on to plan the Clifton Suspension Bridge, design the first steamship to cross the Atlantic, redesign and construct many of Britain's major docks and construct a network of tunnels, bridges and viaducts for the Great Western Railway.

His signature features below a portrait of himself and railway pioneer and inventor Sir Daniel Gooch - Brunel's closest friend and supporter.

The picture - expected to fetch £200-£500 - dates back to 1844 and was hung in London's Paddington Station and given to a worker as a leaving present.

It came up for auction after coming into the possession of a family member in Colwall.