Far right group Britain First used a leisure centre in Erith for ‘security training’ including knife defence and martial arts.

The anti-immigration group - whose former leader Paul Golding was jailed late last year when he broke a court order by driving members to a ‘mosque invasion’ – held the session at Erith Leisure Centre on Avenue Road on Saturday (July 8).

Read more: Former Swanley councillor and Britain First leader Paul Golding jailed after breaking mosque ban

The facility is run by Parkwood Leisure on behalf of Bexley Council. Parkwood claims the group claimed booked ‘describing itself as a security firm’.

A post on Britain First’s Facebook page read: “Britain First security training day in the South East. Martial Arts, Krav Maga, close protection, knife defence and much more.”

It was accompanied by 15 images showing mostly middle aged men, learning techniques as well as one posed shot with eight men standing arms crossed and looking at the camera.

Mr Golding, who was a Swanley town councillor for the British National Party from 2009 to 2011, is appears to be among the men in the pictures.

Since the post, people have been making their objections known on social media.

One Twitter user wrote: “This is disgraceful. They should be down the allotment not learning to use knives. Old enough to know better!

Craig Green wrote on Twitter: “So shocking as this was my old leisure centre. Did swimming lessons as a kid @ old building. How dare you facilitate these sessions!”

Adrian Lane wrote: “They're a danger to themselves they could have a heart attack.”

Parkwood Leisure said it received a booking on Thursday (July 6) to hire a function room ‘from a company describing itself as a security firm’ and when they arrived the ‘concealed their branded tops’.

In a statement, a spokesman said: “Representatives of this company signed the required booking form to comply with the leisure centre’s terms and conditions of hire that include an anti-racist charter. On the day of the booking, a number of people used the function room but concealed their branded tops when in view of any leisure centre staff or members of the public.

“The operators of the centre have since learnt that the booking was made by a group representing an extremist political party that would not have been permitted to access the site had the true nature of the group been declared.

“Parkwood Leisure works to the highest standards of integrity and ethical propriety. It is committed to ensuring that all those who take part in sporting activities at its leisure centres do so without fear of racial harassment or anti-social behaviour. Any conflict or inconsistency with its anti-racist policy results in the withdrawal of use of its facilities.”

Britain First has been contacted for comment.