Jack Renshaw (pictured) admitted purchasing a 19-inch replica Roman sword to assassinate Rosie Cooper, the MP for West Lancashire, after he was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences last year

A neo-Nazi who plotted to kill a Labour MP with a machete is a convicted paedophile who was jailed last year for trying to groom two underage boys, it can be revealed today.

Jack Renshaw admitted purchasing a 19-inch replica Roman sword to assassinate Rosie Cooper, the MP for West Lancashire, after he was arrested on suspicion of child sex offences last year.

The 23-year-old, from Skelmersdale in Lancashire, also pleaded guilty to making a threat to kill detective Victoria Henderson, who was investigating him for grooming, but denied membership of National Action.

Today a jury at his re-trial failed to reach a verdict on whether Renshaw remained a member of the far-right terrorist group after it was banned.

But it can now be reported that the former BNP youth leader is a convicted paedophile who was jailed last June for 16 months after he groomed two underage boys - aged between 13 and 15 at time - using a fake Facebook profile.

Jurors at Preston Crown Court found him guilty of four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity. He was jailed in June 2018 for 16 months for the grooming.

Jack Renshaw (pictured above) had previously attended National Action rallies before plotting to kill an MP

Jack Renshaw (left) had plotted to kill Labour MP Rosie Cooper (pictured right outside the Old Bailey last year)

He also received a three-year prison sentence two months earlier when he was found guilty of stirring up racial hatred after he called for the genocide of Jewish people.

National Action leader Christopher Lythgoe, 32, of Warrington, and his right-hand man Matthew Hankinson, 24, from Merseyside, who were present when Renshaw outlined his plans, were convicted of membership last year.

The plan was scuppered by whistle-blower Robbie Mullen, who was at a meeting in a pub when Renshaw announced that he was going to kill Ms Cooper in July 2017.

It came just a year after Labour MP Jo Cox was stabbed and shot by a fellow far-right extremist, Thomas Mair.

National Action is the first extreme right-wing group to be proscribed by the Government since the Second World War.

In December 2016, it was banned by the then home secretary Amber Rudd over its support for the murder of Batley and Spen MP Ms Cox.

The North West contingent continued to meet in pubs and train together at a new mixed martial arts gym in Warrington, it was alleged.

Picture above shows swords recovered by police from the ringleader of banned Neo Nazi terror group National Action

Mrs Justice McGowan remanded Renshaw in custody ahead of sentence on a date to be fixed.

Renshaw was arrested on 11 January 2017 for stirring up racial hatred in relation to two speeches he made, and as a part of the investigation his phone was examined.

DC Henderson discovered evidence of Renshaw's perverted affairs with the underage boys and arrested him again on 19 May.

Renshaw had told DC Henderson in interview that she was fabricating evidence for 'the two worst things anyone could be - a homosexual and a paedophile'.

He was released on bail and began researching DC Henderson in preparation for the revenge attack.

The paedophile was so determined to stop the detective revealing his paedophilia that he plotted to kill his local MP in a pub, take hostages and lure in Ms Henderson to silence her before committing 'suicide by cop'.

Who is Jack Renshaw and what are his offences? 2010 – Becomes involved with the EDL and joins the BNP aged 15 against his parents' wishes September 2013 – Studies politics at Manchester Metropolitan University and becomes the face of the BNP Youth 2014 – Declares in a blog that Jewish people are traitors and should be killed. He also appears in a video titled 'BNP Youth Fight Back' September 2015 – Is forced to leave university after an investigation into his incitement of racial hatred April 2016 - He called for counter protesters at a rally in Blackpool to be put 'in the chambers' and called Nazism 'natures politics' Yorkshire Forum for Nationalists 2016 – tells people that Hitler was wrong in showing Jewish people mercy November 2016 – Faces criminal charges over incitement to racial hatred January 11 2017 - Arrested for hate crimes and terror offences after the arrest of National Action members across the UK January 19 May 2017 – arrested for child grooming July 1 2017 – tells friends he would murder Rosie Cooper and take hostages in a pub July 5 2017 – charged by the CPS under pressure from the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism April 2018 – found guilty of stirring up racial hatred after calling for the genocide of Jewish people June 2018 – jailed for 16 months for grooming April 2 2019 - trial for membership of National Action where the jury was unable to reach a verdict Advertisement

He told the Old Bailey he spent just under a month planning to kill Ms Cooper to 'send the state a message'.

Renshaw had criticised Adolf Hitler for what he believed was showing Jewish people 'mercy'.

Jurors heard a speech he delivered to the Yorkshire Forum for Nationalists in 2016 in which he said: 'I do actually have some problem with the statement 'Hitler was right' in many senses but you know where he was wrong?

'He showed mercy. He showed mercy to people who did not deserve mercy.

'As nationalists, we need to learn from the mistakes of the National Socialists and we need to realise that no, you do not show the Jew mercy.'

Renshaw had planned to make a 'white jihad' video explaining his motives for the terror attack. But he was arrested on 5 July 2017.

Renshaw was convicted of four counts of inciting a child to engage in sexual activity, between February 2016 and January 2017, and two counts of inciting racial hatred.

He had also conducted internet searches during May 2017 in relation to cutting of the jugular artery and how long it would take to die after suffering such a wound in preparation for his plan.

The plan was foiled by whistle blower Robbie Mullen, who was at a meeting in a pub when Renshaw announced that he was going to kill Ms Cooper in July 2017.

After the pub meeting, Mr Mullen, from Widnes, Cheshire, reported the threat to Hope Not Hate and Renshaw was arrested.

Mr Mullen, who was granted immunity from prosecution, told jurors: 'He said he was going to kill his local MP, Rosie Cooper. I said 'Are you sure?' and he said 'Yeah'.

'He said he would kill her, then try to take some hostages to lure the police officer that was investigating him to try to kill her because she was the reason behind it all.

'He said his mind was made up. He had bought a machete.'

Renshaw said he would wear a fake suicide vest so he would be killed by police, Mr Mullen added.

The defendant declined to give evidence in his retrial, but in his first trial last year explained his reasons for targeting Ms Cooper.

He said: 'I wanted to send a message to the state that if you beat a dog long enough it bites - she just happened to be my local MP.'