One of the founders of Extinction Rebellion was facing possible expulsion from the movement on Wednesday over remarks in which he allegedly questioned the significance of the Holocaust.

Roger Hallam, a former organic farmer in south Wales who co-founded the global activist movement, described the Holocaust as “just another f***ery in human history”, according to Zeit, a leading German newspaper.

Extinction Rebellion’s German chapter issued an immediate statement distancing itself “explicitly” from the remarks and saying Mr Hallam was “no longer welcome” in Germany.

The environmental movement's British chapter also "unreservedly denounced" the comments last night and suggested Mr Hallam could be forced out.

"Jewish people and many others are deeply wounded by the comments," read a statement.

"We stand by restorative outcomes as preferable, although in some cases exclusion is necessary," it continued, saying internal deliberations were ongoing.

Mr Hallam has previously come under fire for a speech he gave at an Amnesty International event earlier this year in which he compared the climate emergency to Auschwitz.

Zeit alleged his latest remarks came in response to a question from one of its reporters about that speech.

“The terrible emotion Auschwitz caused has not been hidden, and the same needs to apply to the climate crisis,” the newspaper quoted Mr Hallam as saying. “Only emotion drives people to make a difference.”