YouTube bans ads on Tommy Robinson’s account to stop him making money

YouTube has removed adverts from Tommy Robinson’s account for breaching the site’s advertising guidelines, preventing him from making money off his videos.

Restrictions have been placed on the controversial activist’s YouTube channel which has 270,000 subscribers for content around sensitive events and controversial issues.

Mr Robinson has hit back claiming that the incident is “continued censorship.”

The ban comes a day after YouTube removed adverts for far-right group Britain First from the platform for breaching rules which prohibit content which promotes "hatred, intolerance or discrimination".

Video creators on YouTube are able to collect money from advertising by allowing adverts to be shown on their videos.

"We have suspended ads on Tommy Robinson's YouTube channel as it breaches our advertising policies," a YouTube spokesperson said.

Last year, the former English Defence League leader was banned from Twitter and online payment platform PayPal, both of which pointed to their rules on hate speech as reasons for imposing a ban.

Referencing his most recent video on the site, which recaps 2018 and is one of those now subject to the restrictions, Robinson said "there's nothing hateful in it".

The video includes footage which Robinson claims shows him punching a migrant on a street in Italy.

YouTube said it believed strongly in the freedom of expression but it had a responsibility to protect its entire community of creators, viewers and advertisers from what it called derogatory and disparaging content.

Additional reporting by PA.