A security guard has been sacked after two 11-year-olds were barred from a sports store.

Sports Direct has apologised after two schoolboys were banned from the branch in Borehamwood Shopping Park by a security guard who is said to have told them: ‘No Jews, no Jews’.

The worker, who is employed by a security firm that supplies the company, was immediately removed from his position after reportedly telling the Year 7 students they could not go into the store on Friday afternoon.

Both boys are pupils at Yavneh College in Hillside Avenue, and were wearing their school uniform at the time.

Lawyer David Rosen’s son Nathan was prevented from entering the shop by the guard, and went to get a friend to come into the store with him and hear what they security guard had said.

The man then changed his statement and told the two boys that schoolchildren were not allowed in the shop.

Professor Rosen said: “Other children from the same school, whose uniform was covered by a coat, were let in without question."

“His first week of school as an 11 year-old, and a lasting memory will be an obvious act of anti-Semitism in a predominantly Jewish area where a not insignificant number of customers are Jewish.”

Sports Direct has issued an apology to Mr Rosen and his family, and had the guard removed from the store.

In a statement, the company said: “Our area manager was notified immediately of this incident and took swift action. He personally removed the guard and liaised with the security company which employed the individual. We were subsequently advised that he has been let go by that company.

“The guard was deeply offensive and disrespectful to the school children. We take pride in the lack of prejudice among our trained staff and will not tolerate discrimination of any kind.”

Prof Rosen added: “As far as I am concerned, they acted very quickly and properly. It was just a rogue security guard who had his own agenda and nothing more than that.

“Confidence is restored sometimes when you hear about companies like this that have taken responsibility for something they didn’t really need to.”

Headteacher Spencer Lewis said: "The incident at Sports Direct was extremely upsetting but it has been dealt with appropriately by the company and we trust that nothing like this will ever happen again."

The incident is now being investigated by police.