Ex-EDL leader Tommy Robinson to appeal against jail sentence

Tommy Robinson founded the EDL in 2009 but quit the group in 2013

The former leader of the English Defence League (EDL) is to appeal against his 13-month prison sentence.

Tommy Robinson, from Bedfordshire, admitted contempt of court after filming outside Leeds Crown Court during a trial in May.

A judge told him his actions could have caused the ongoing trial to be re-run.

The 35-year-old will attempt to have his sentence cut at the Court of Appeal in London later this month.

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It was the second time Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon, had been found guilty of contempt.

At the time of the offence in Leeds he was subject to a suspended sentence for a charge related to a separate case in Canterbury

The Leeds footage, lasting around an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook.

Jailing him, Judge Geoffrey Marson said it was a "serious aggravating feature" that he was encouraging others to share it and it had been shared widely.

He added: "Everyone understands the right to freedom of speech but there are responsibilities and obligations."

Robinson founded the far-right EDL in 2009.

It became known for its street marches and demonstrations in towns and cities before he quit the group in 2013.