A far-right group believed to have been plotting to spark a civil-war-like attack in Germany has the charged with terrorism offences.

Revolution Chemnitz plotted terror attacks in Berlin and wanted to frame left-wing groups for it in October 2018, a German court heard.

According to German TV and newspapers, chat logs were found on the phone of group members who identified as neo-Nazis.

Eight men are in custody in Chemnitz, the eastern city where anti-immigrant protests took place last year.

A trial is expected to start in autumn in Dresden.

Nearly 13,000 far right violent extremists live in Germany, according to the country’s intelligence service.

A pro-immigration German politician was murdered by a 45-year-old extremist in June.

Stephan Ernst confessed to the killing and said Walter Lübcke’s political embrace of refugees motived him.

Mr Lübcke was a member of Angela Merkel’s Christian Democrats (CDU).

Mr Ernst was arrested 10 years ago at a neo-Nazi march in Dortmund and sentenced to seven months’ probation for breaching the peace.