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English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson is facing legal action over claims he made about a young Syrian refugee.

The far-right activist, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, has been threatened with a defamation case over videos and Facebook posts he made about the 15-year-old, who was allegedly attacked at school.

Shocking footage which went viral last year showed the boy being knocked to the ground by another pupil at a school in Huddersfield.

He then had water poured on his face.

When the footage was widely shared, Robinson claimed on Facebook that the Syrian boy had attacked three girls and a boy, and said he was angry about the boy being presented as a "victim".

(Image: Mohammed T Akunjee)

This was accompanied by a screenshot of a message from a mum claiming her daughter had been bullied.

But the same mum later posted on Robinson's page that the boy in the video was not the culprit.

It is claimed that following Robinson's intervention, the schoolboy was inundated with hateful messages and threats which forced his family to move.

Jamal's family lawyer, Mohammed Akunjee, posted on Twitter: "Mr Lennon (Tommy Robinson) will have received by today our ‘letter before action’ with respect to (the) defamation claim against him. He has 14 days to respond."

And Mr Akunjee told The Guardian : “Our submission is that Mr Robinson, in tandem with Facebook, engaged in defamation of our client and these the claims were repeated numerous times across the world.”

More than £10,000 was raised from members of the public to support the legal action.

(Image: PA)

On a page raising money to support the legal action, lawyer Abdulnaser Youssef wrote: "As a result of Lennon’s false remarks and their wide online circulation, (the boy) became the focus of countless messages of hate and threats from the extreme rightwing.

"The police informed (the victim) that there was an increased risk to the safety of he and his family; as a result, he and his family were forced to relocate."

Several of Robinson's videos were removed from his page in November after the schoolboy's family said they intended to sue.

Robinson later said he had been 'had', saying: "I have been completely had, how embarrassing, man."

This week the former EDL leader was permanently booted off Facebook and Instagram .

Facebook, who which both networks, said he was posting "in ways that violate our policies about organised hate".

Now Tom Watson, deputy leader of the Labour Party, has called on YouTube to follow the example and ban Robinson.

In a letter to Google chief executive Sundar Pichai, Mr Watson claimed it is "quite clear from the comments threads on stories documenting this decision, Yaxley-Lennon supporters are transferring over their virulent hate to YouTube".

He wrote: "I am now writing to implore you as a matter of utmost urgency to follow the lead that has been, belatedly, set by Facebook, and remove forthwith all 'Tommy Robinson' and related pages from your YouTube platform."