Hosting company Rackspace shut down the Dove World Outreach Center's website last night, because it broke its acceptable use policy.

Pastor Terry Jones is enjoying his 15 minutes of fame thanks to plans for an International Burn the Koran Day to mark the anniversary of 9/11. Jones also plans to burn copies of the Talmud.

Jones's website had disappeared by this morning, UK time. Videos of Jones ranting are still available on YouTube - but haven't been updated this year.

Dan Goodgame, a spokesman for Rackspace, told the Reg: "We have over 100,000 customers and do not track what each of them has on their websites. But we do respond to complaints. We had a complaint that this site was promoting anti-Islamic hate speech, we investigated and agreed that it breached our acceptable use policy.

"We got in touch with them both by phone and email to warn them to remove the content, or find another hosting company. They did not remove the content so at midnight last night we shut them down."

Goodgame said the analogy was of someone shouting racist abuse in the street - they are free to do so. "But they may not come into my hardware store and carry on the abuse in front of my customers and friends - if they do so I have the right to ask them to leave."

The ranting, red-nosed pastor told CNN Rackspace's action was an attack on his freedom of speech but would not stop the event going ahead.

His tiny church has already lost half of its 50-strong congregation in response to his stunt, which is likely to be attended by more journalists than supporters.

The book bonfire has now been opposed by Sarah Palin, the Vatican, the German church which Jones founded and was dismissed from, Afghan commander General Petraeus and Hillary Clinton. ®