Chesterfield MP highlights terror threat from far-right as well as Islamist extremists

Mr Perkins commented after protesters descended on central London on Saturday for a rally in support of 'Tommy Robinson', whose real name is Stephen Christopher Yaxley-Lennon.

The ex-EDL leader and far-right activist - who has a string of criminal convictions - was jailed for 13 months at the end of May after he pleaded guilty to breaking contempt of court laws.

Footage posted on social media showed bottles, metal barriers and other objects being thrown at police during the protest and five officers were reportedly injured.

Writing on Twitter over the weekend, Mr Perkins said: "It will be very interesting to see the level of outrage about white far-right thugs chasing police off the streets in support of Tommy Robinson.

"Senior counter terrorism police told me that the terror threat from far-right terrorists is far greater than most people realise.

"Just imagine the (entirely justifiable) fury and fear if radical Islamists had turned a protest on Britain's streets into chasing the police off the streets and then realise how dangerous the far-right is.

"We should be no less furious or afraid."

Mr Perkins' comments created much discussion on the Derbyshire Times' Facebook page.

Today, he said: "The tweet I posted focused on the actions of those who chased the police off the streets - are people seriously saying that's who they want to be associated with?

"I didn't suggest that everyone else who attended was by definition a thug.

"I have spoken out before about Islamist terror and will do so again.

"I will also support any efforts to expose and imprison child rapists.

"I do not deny the link between certain Asian communities and the disgusting child sex rings that existed and I do not offer safe spaces to terrorists or rapists, I want them all in jail.

"But nor should we ignore the growing threat of far-right terror, nor should we cease to be alarmed when thugs chase police off the streets.

"That's not protest."