A member of banned terrorist group, National Action, has been arrested by police following a far-right rally.
The neo-Nazi group, which was proscribed as a terrorist organisation in December, wants to fight the “disease” of “international Jewry”, admires Adolf Hitler and has championed Thomas Mair, the man jailed for life for murdering Labour MP Jo Cox.
Police arrested a 21-year-old man for two public order offences after he allegedly used threatening, abusive and insulting words likely to stir up racial hatred, the Press Association reported.
One charge relates to remarks made on social media and the other to words spoken at an event in Blackpool in March last year, organised by the North West Infidels, another right-wing group.
At the event, supporters cheered as Jews were described as “parasites” and Hitler was praised amid claims Britain “took the wrong side” in the Second World War.
A police spokeswoman said: “Officers from the North West Counter Terrorism Unit and Lancashire Constabulary have today, Wednesday 11 January 2017, arrested a 21-year-old man from Blackpool on suspicion of public order offences.
“The man was arrested on suspicion of two offences contrary to Section 18 of the Public Order Act 1986 - using threatening/abusive/insulting words or behaviour or displaying written material with intent/likely to stir up racial hatred.
“The arrest relates to comments made at an event in Blackpool in March 2016 and to comments made on social media.
“The man will be interviewed at a police station in Lancashire during the course of the day.”
Police did not name the arrested member of the group.
In November the Huffington Post UK reported National Action member Jack Renshaw was being investigated for remarks made during a rally in Blackpool and other remarks made in Yorkshire.
Support or membership of National Action was outlawed by home secretary Amber Rudd under the Terrorism Act last month, making it the first far-right movement to be prohibited as a terror group.
Hate crimes can be reported to police on 101, or by the True Vision website (www.report-it.org.uk).