The US pastor who planned a mass burning of the Qur'an on the anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks last year has been barred from entering the UK.

The Home Office ban means Florida-based pastor Terry Jones will not now attend a series of demonstrations organised by a far-right group against the expansion of Islam and the construction of mosques in the UK.

A Home Office spokesman said: "The government opposes extremism in all its forms which is why we have excluded pastor Terry Jones from the UK.

"Numerous comments made by Pastor Jones are evidence of his unacceptable behaviour. Coming to the UK is a privilege, not a right, and we are not willing to allow entry to those whose presence is not conducive to the public good."

"The use of exclusion powers is very serious and no decision is taken lightly or as a method of stopping open debate."

The preacher received worldwide condemnation last year when he threatened to burn the Qur'an on September 11. He eventually called the action off.

Jones told Sky News he was "disappointed" by the ban. "We would ask it be reconsidered and the ban lifted," he said. "I have done a countless number of interviews and in those I have stated and assured the media and British government we have no intention of doing anything against British law."

"We feel this is against our human rights to travel and freedom of speech."

"We are not against Muslims, we are not against Islam. We welcome Muslims and have only spoken out against the radical element of Islam."

A spokesman for the group England Is Ours, which had invited Jones to the UK, said he hoped other members of the preacher's church would be able to attend the meetings next month if the ban remained in place. Barry Taylor, secretary of the Milton Keynes-based group, said: "I'm very disappointed."

Before Christmas, it was thought that Jones might attend an English Defence League demonstration in Britain. But last month the EDL said it felt it would be inappropriate to invite him.