The former leader of the British National Party, Nick Griffin, has been expelled from the party.

He was informed of the decision in a letter sent by the party’s conduct committee sent today.

The committee alleged Mr Griffin had leaked false statements about the BNP on the web, harassed party members, and brought the group into disrepute.

Clive Jefferson of the conduct committee said: “This has been a difficult decision to make and not one taken lightly.

“Although we all appreciate that Nick has achieved a lot for our party in the past, we must also remember that the party is bigger than any individual.

“Nick did not adjust well to being given the honourary title of president and it soon became obvious that he was unable to work as an equal member of the team and alarmingly his behaviour became more erratic and disruptive.”

Mr Griffin, brought up near Halesworth and educated in Woodbridge, was chairman of the BNP until July.

In a tweet he said he would ignore their “plastic gangster games” as the party was acting outside of its constitution, adding he had been “expelled without trial”.