A MP has launched a petition calling on the Government to ban Hezbollah flags under the Terrorism Act 2000.

Matthew Offord, MP for Hendon, in north-west London, wants the government to proscribe the political wing of Hezbollah and stop protestors from flying its flag at demonstrations.

Currently people are able to display the Hezbollah flag and claim that they are showing solidarity with the political wing of the organisation.

The military wing of Hezbollah, whose flag is banned from being flown in the UK, carries the same flag as the political wing.

Mr Offord has written to his constituents asking them to support his petition in order to present “the strongest possible case to the Government that both the military and political wings of the Hezbollah organisation should be proscribed under UK law.”

Mr Offord said: “I have repeatedly called for the whole of the Hezbollah organisation to be proscribed under the Terrorism Act as the current situation enables them to use a legal loop-hole to justify unacceptable actions and words.

"Many of my constituents feel that the behaviour of those people who display such flags is not simply free speech but crosses the line of antisemitism, when they use specific terms to criticise the state of Israel and Jewish people.

“I believe that a petition from my constituents, along with the recent

‘Proscribe Hezbollah in its entirety’ motion passed unanimously by Barnet Council, will allow me to demonstrate to the Government that people are very unhappy with the present situation.”