Photo: File

Facebook said it banned Britain First from its platform for breaking rules against inciting hatred, blacklisting a far-right group brought to global attention when US President Donald Trump retweeted its anti-Islamic posts.

Facebook said on Wednesday it had taken down Britain First?s Facebook page and those of its leaders, Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen, for repeatedly violating rules designed to stop the incitement of hatred against minority groups.

The deputy leader of Britain First, who hit the headlines after Trump's retweet, was jailed last Wednesday for 36 weeks for religiously-aggravated harassment.

Jayda Fransen, 31, filmed and posted online videos of people who she wrongly believed were defendants in a rape trial at Canterbury Crown Court in May last year, in a case that led to the conviction of three Muslim men and a teenager.

Britain First leader Paul Golding, 36, was also found guilty and jailed for 18 weeks.

The pair also posted offensive leaflets to houses in the area where the defendants lived.

Judge Justin Barron at Folkestone Magistrates' Court said Golding and Franson had "demonstrated hostility" towards the Muslim faith.

"I have no doubt it was their joint intention to use the facts of the case (in Canterbury) for their own political ends," he added.

"It was a campaign to draw attention to the race, religion and immigrant background of the defendants."

Prosecutor Jaswant Narwal said the case had demonstrated Golding and Franson "were not merely exercising their right to free speech but were instead aiming religiously-aggravated abuse at innocent members of the public.