The gaudy Christmas jumper hasn’t taken hold here in Australia – namely due to the hot weather – but they remain strangely popular in places like the UK and North America.

But the latest iteration of the festive garb has forced Walmart in Canada to issue an apology to customers.

The retailer has been caught-out selling a Christmas jumper online that shows a bug-eyed Santa snorting lines of cocaine with the strap “let it snow”.

Apparently, the jumper is being sold via a third-party retailer called Fun Wear.

The offending garment came with a product description that read: “We all know how snow works. It’s white, powdery and the best snow comes straight from South America. That’s bad news for jolly old St Nick, who lives far away in the North Pole. That’s why Santa really likes to savour the moment when he get his hands on some quality, grade A, Colombian snow.”

Following a customer backlash, Walmart Canada immediately pulled the narcotic-inspired jumper from sale.

“These sweaters, sold by a third-party seller on Walmart.ca, do not represent Walmart’s values and have no place on our website,” a Walmart spokesperson said. “We have removed these products from our marketplace. We apologise for any unintended offence this may have caused.”

The Walmart site had featured also featured other adult-themed sweaters including one showing an upside-down snowman with a carrot nose and two baubles hanging below it, while another had Santa roasting his “chestnuts” over a fire. Those items have also been removed from the Walmart Canada site.