Tommy Robinson could face up to two years in prison in fresh contempt of court proceedings

Attorney general concludes it is in the public interest to bring proceedings against anti-Islam activist over video filmed outside grooming trial

Tommy Robinson could face up to two years in prison after the attorney general ruled he should face fresh contempt of court charges.

Geoffrey Cox concluded it was in the public interest to bring new proceedings against the anti-Islam activist, real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, over a video he recorded outside a grooming trial at Leeds Crown Court.

Robinson, 35, was jailed for 13 months in May last year after he filmed people involved in a criminal trial and broadcast the footage on social media.

The footage, lasting about an hour, was watched 250,000 times within hours of being posted on Facebook. The four men on trial were later convicted of gang-raping a teenage girl.

Robinson was accused of breaching a blanket reporting restriction of a series of grooming gang trials in West Yorkshire, but the contempt finding was quashed by the Court of Appeal in August.

The English Defence League founder was freed to face new proceedings at the Old Bailey. Nicholas Hilliard QC, the Recorder of London, referred the case to the attorney general in October after receiving a statement from Robinson.

In a statement on Thursday, Mr Cox said: “After carefully considering the details of this case, I have concluded there are strong grounds to bring fresh contempt of court proceedings against Stephen Yaxley-Lennon (AKA Tommy Robinson).

“As proceedings are now underway, it would not be appropriate to comment further and I remind everyone that it is an offence to comment on live court cases.”

The first hearing in the case will be held on 22 March at the High Court in London.

Reacting to the announcement, Robinson said: “What people should be asking is what’s taken the attorney general five months?

“How is this in the public interest? This is ongoing state persecution of a journalist who exposes the government, the establishment and all of their wrongs.

“I, along with the support of the British public, will contest this. I am innocent. I broke no law.”

Large crowds of supporters have turned out to cheer on Robinson at previous court appearances.

He could be jailed again if he is found in contempt, with a maximum sentence of two years.