A religious education teacher who posted Islamophobic comments on social media and attended a march organised by the far-right group Britain First has been struck off.

Nicholas Hall, who taught at a comprehensive school in Leicester, admitted he had attended a march on one or more occasions, and also admitted posting a number of intolerant messages.

Hall admitted a series of other matters, including allowing 12- and 13-year-old pupils to watch an 18-certificate film, accessing pornography on a school laptop, failing to take appropriate action when a pupil acknowledged taking drugs, and working as a security guard while on sick leave.

A professional conduct panel concluded that he was guilty of “unacceptable professional conduct” and “conduct which may bring the profession into disrepute”.

It also found that he had breached his responsibility not to undermine “fundamental British values, including democracy, the rule of law … and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs”, and that his conduct had violated the rights of pupils.

A number of teachers have been suspended or struck off as a consequence of their links with another far-right group, the British National party (BNP). One, Adam Walker, subsequently became leader of the party.

However, Hall is thought to be the first teacher to be struck off because of his association with Britain First, which was formed three years ago by a number of former BNP members.

The professional conduct panel ordered that Hall be banned indefinitely from teaching in any school, sixth-form college or other children’s establishment in England. He has a right of appeal to the high court.

Hall, 53, had been teaching at Soar Valley College since 2001. The panel decided there was evidence that he had attended a number of rightwing events and that he had shown “vehement intolerance” towards people of other faiths.

Comments he made on social media included “What a sick religion Islam is” and “We will leave them alone when the plague of Islam is [eradicated] from our planet.”

In its report, the professional conduct panel said: “The panel believes that such an attitude is completely incongruous with Mr Hall’s role as a teacher, but particularly his role as an RE teacher of the college.”

Furthermore, the panel had seen no sign that Hall felt any remorse for his actions.

Following the decision, Hall said he had no comment to make other than that he had “moved on” since losing his job.

Julie Robinson, the principal at Soar Valley College, said: “Mr Hall no longer works at the school and has not done so for some time. As soon as we became aware of any concerns regarding conduct, immediate appropriate actions were taken. This included referral to the misconduct panel, which has resulted in the recent outcome.”

On Thursday the deputy leader of Britain First, Jayda Fransen, was fined £1,200 and ordered to pay £720 costs after being convicted of religiously aggravated harassment and wearing a political uniform. This is an offence under 1930s legislation that was aimed at the so-called blackshirts of the British Union of Fascists.

Luton magistrates court saw CCTV and video clips that showed Fransen and a small number of men marching through Bury Park, an area of the town with a large Muslim population, wearing green jackets and hats bearing the Britain First emblem and carrying white crosses.

Fransen could be heard berating a Muslim woman out shopping with her four young children, shouting that Muslim men compelled her to wear a hijab so she would not be raped.

Fransen denied the offence, claiming she had not intended her words to be offensive. She attended court with a number of Britain First supporters, some of whom manhandled journalists during the two days that she was on trial. One person was arrested over an alleged assault.

