Two neo-Nazi groups added to banned list

Scottish Dawn and NS131, both aliases of neo-Nazi group National Action, are to be banned under UK terror law, the government has announced.

National Action became the first far-right organisation to be banned in the UK last year.

Home Secretary Amber Rudd said she would not allow the "vile racist" group to "masquerade under different names".

Being a member or inviting support for the organisations will be a criminal offence.

'Growing threat'

It will carry a sentence of up to 10 years in prison. The order comes into effect on Friday.

"By extending the proscription of National Action, we are halting the spread of a poisonous ideology and stopping its membership from growing - protecting those who could be at risk of radicalisation," Ms Rudd said.

The move was welcomed by the head of UK counter-terrorism policing, Mark Rowley, who said it would help "disrupt and tackle the growing threat from the extreme right-wing".

National Action's propaganda featured violent imagery including material suggesting that acts, including the murder of Jo Cox MP, should be emulated.

Scottish Dawn has described itself as a "new Identitarian social movement formed from various organisations in 2017 to develop a coherent conception of Scottish identity and secure its place within Scottish politics".

NS131 (National Socialist Anti-Capitalist Action) is "a platform dedicated to promoting and spreading NS street art and physical propaganda", according to its website.

On Wednesday, 11 men were arrested under anti-terror laws as part of a national investigation into National Action. All were suspected National Action members.

Earlier this month, three men - including two British soldiers - were charged under anti-terror laws with being members of National Action.

There are currently 71 organisations - 70 of them international - proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000. A further 14 organisations in Northern Ireland were proscribed under previous legislation.

Anyone with concerns about the activities of National Action, or any other type of extremist activity, is encouraged to contact the confidential hotline on 0800 789 321.