MEMBERS of a far-right group who held up a banner in Barrow proclaiming 'white lives matter' have been told they are not welcome in the town.

Patriotic Alternative hoisted the banner in Barrow town centre and delivered anti-immigrant fliers to houses nearby.

It is the latest in a series of incidents involving the far-right activist group in Barrow.

And the town's MP Simon Fell said he had been 'inundated' with messages from Barrovians condemning the group's actions.

Hitting out, he said: "I've seen the leaflets that were sent out over the weekend and they are the very worst of dog whistle politics, using human misery to drive a wedge between people in a community.

"I've been inundated with messages on social media and email from people rejecting their far right racist messages.

"This group are linked to Nazi-sympathisers, peddle racist imagery online, and defaced Barrow's Cenotaph last summer.

"They are not welcome here and I'm sure that the good people of Barrow will see through their racist propaganda."

The letters 'PA NW' were scrawled on the Cenotaph in Barrow Park next to what appeared to be a Swastika in July. Although the group has denied any of its members were involved in the incident.

The group, which has branches in regions across the country, is led by Mark Collett, who appeared on a Channel 4 documentary entitled Young, Nazi and Proud and wrote a book in which he described Adolf Hitler's Nuremberg rallies as 'something that one would have been proud to be a part of'.

Leaflets posted through doors claimed without evidence that immigration into Britain was straining public services and increasing traffic congestion.

The group drew criticism from anti-racism campaigners in Cumbria when it held its annual conference at a hotel in Levens last year.

The gathering was cut short following concerns raised by campaign groups and hotel staff, who were 'misled' by the booking.

Paul Jenkins, an organiser for Unite Against Fascism, has previously condemned the group's views and said people in Barrow disagreed with their anti-refugee stances.