Organisers have been accused of discrimination for acting on complaints about the increasing size of people at the annual event in The Hague.

Volunteers described euphemistically as having “too strong a stature” were told they would not be allowed to take part in the event at the Waalsdorpervlakte — where 250 Dutch resistance fighters were murdered by the Nazis.

Wendy Broer, secretary of the Erepeloton Waalsdorp, which organises the event, initially defended the move, saying that bursting buttons on people’s uniforms “did not look good”.

However, as pressure mounted, chairman Vincent van Gaal capitulated to critics who reported the organisation for discrimination.

“We are the last to exclude people, and traditionally we want our guard of honour to be a reflection of society”, he said, promising to repeal the ban.