Scottish Dawn and NS131 – two groups used as aliases for proscribed neo-Nazi group National Action (NA) – are to be banned under UK terror law, the government has announced.

An order laid in Parliament today, which comes into effect tomorrow (September 29), means anyone supporting or attempting to support the group would face criminal charges, carrying a sentence of up to 10 years’ imprisonment.

NA was today described by Home Secretary Amber Rudd as a “vile, racist, homophobic and antisemitic group which glorifies violence and stirs up hatred”.

She said: "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."

Last year the organisation became the first far-right group to be banned in the UK.

A recent clamp-down on neo-Nazi groups was prompted by the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by extremist Thomas Mair.

Scottish Dawn first came to national attention when it demonstrated against the housing of refugees in Scotland in March.

Members waved yellow flags bearing the “life rune” symbol which also appeared in Nazi propaganda.

Earlier this month four alleged members of the NA were arrested on suspicion on preparing acts of terror.

The group’s members have previously threatened British Jews.

Garron Helm, a NA Merseyside member, was jailed last year for sending antisemitic messages to Jewish MP Luciana Berger in February 2015.

Another member of the group, Jack Renshaw, was reported to the police last year by the CST for antisemitic comments he made in several of his speeches.

NA’s online propaganda material featured violent imagery and language, inferring that violent acts, including the attack on the Pulse Nightclub in Orlando and the murder of Mrs Cox, should be emulated.