The British Government must withdraw the invitation to Donald Trump to pay a state visit to the UK because he is “nakedly sympathising with neo-Nazis”, activists have said.

The US President caused uproar after saying a group of people he described as the “alt-left” shared the blame with members of the Ku Klux Klan, white supremacists and neo-Nazi for violence that erupted when the latter attempted to hold a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

The far-right group, which included people in paramilitary uniforms carrying assault rifles, gathered to protest against plans to remove a statue to the Confederate general Robert E Lee.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

Mr Trump said many of the far-right protesters had gathered “innocently” and “legally” to demonstrate and accused the media of dishonesty in their reporting of the subsequent violence.

Anti-fascist protester Heather Heyer, 32, was killed when a car was allegedly deliberately driven into a crowd of people in the town.

Theresa May invited the Republican billionaire to the UK but he has reportedly delayed the visit until the Government can guarantee he will not face mass protests.

Nick Dearden, the director of Global Justice Now, which is part of the UK Stop Trump coalition, urged the Prime Minister to take a stand against fascism and withdraw the invitation.

“Theresa May’s decision to invite Donald Trump for a state visit to the UK has always been highly controversial, but now that the President is nakedly sympathising with neo-Nazis, there has never been a more obvious time that that invitation must be rescinded immediately,” he said.

And Mr Dearden warned that failure to do this could embolden the far-right in Britain.

“There’s nothing that happened in Charlottesville that couldn’t happen in the UK,” he said.

“We’re witnessing spikes in racist hate crimes, and one of our political representatives was recently murdered by a far-right extremist.

“Our politicians need to be sending clear messages that such hate and violent bigotry cannot be tolerated.

“What message is it sending to the people of UK if there is an open invitation to the most high-profile fascist-sympathiser of modern times?”

In a tweet after the violence in Charlottesville, the Prime Minister’s official account said: “Our thoughts and prayers are with #Charlottesville. The UK stands with the US against racism, hatred and violence.”