The homophobic Westboro Baptist Church has been told to stay away from the funerals of those killed in last week’s fertiliser plant explosion in Texas.

Westboro plans to be in Waco on Thursday to demonstrate outside memorial services for firefighters who died in the blast.

The church praised God for the explosion which injured around 200 and killed 14 people, and said it happened because of God’s hatred of same-sex marriage.

“We’ve been made aware that there could be individuals or groups who plan to picket or protest during the funeral services of our fallen heroes,” McLennon Country Sheriff Parnell McNamara said in a statement.

“Make no mistake about it, any attempt by any group or organisation to disrupt the funerals of any of our victims of this tragedy will be dealt with swiftly and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I’ve contacted District Attorney Abel Rena and he has assured me of his cooperation in this matter. We’re simply not going to tolerate that.”

Westboro blamed last week’s Boston Marathon bomb attack, in which three people were killed and hundreds injured on same-sex marriage.

One of the dead was an eight-year-old boy.

Following the death of Margaret Thatcher, Westboro tweeted PinkNews to say the former prime minister: “Did more for fags in UK than ANY 1 person!”

Despite acknowledging her role in implementing Section 28, which previously banned the promotion of homosexuality in schools, Westboro went on to call her a “hypocrite”.

“She put forth a conservative face as prime minister, but fags filled her staff. She supported Section 28 in 1988… but was a wicked hypocrite! She married another woman’s husband. God hates adulterers,” Westboro tweeted.