A MEMBER of a far-right group who nailed a copy of the Koran to the door of a pub earmarked for a Muslim education centre has renounced his extremist actions.

Graham William French also painted ‘EDL’ on the former Melrose Arms, in Shotton Colliery, east Durham, last December.

But appearing at Peterlee Magistrates’ Court today (Wednesday, February 12), he said: “I fully regret everything I’ve done. It’s totally out of character.

“I’ll regret this for the rest of my life.”

Telling magistrates he had apologised to the building’s owner, Kaiser Javeed Choudry, he continued: “I apologise for coming in front of you today.

“You’ll not be hearing anything else from me again.”

French, of Dene Crescent, Shotton Colliery, admitted racially aggravated criminal damage and was sentenced to a six-month community order.

He will be supervised by probation officers and will be subject to an electronically monitored curfew between 10.30am and 7am for the next month.

French was also ordered to pay a £60 victim surcharge and £80 court costs.

Mr Choudry won permission to convert the former Melrose Arms into a Muslim education facility back in 2012.

However, there has been opposition to his proposals, the far-right English Defence League (EDL) has twice staged protests in the village and the building remains closed.

A previous hearing was told French was a member of a Facebook group calling itself the Shotton Defence League.

Today, the court was told French had a grievance against Mr Choudry and decided to get his own back, causing damage the businessman claimed cost £500 to repair.

In a statement read to the court, Mr Choudry said: “The whole situation has left me upset.

“I’m trying to improve the building and the area. It’s cost a lot of money to repair.”

Magistrates said they were unable to order French to pay compensation, as no receipts for the repairs had been forthcoming.

The Koran was nailed to a wooden board covering a window. French was arrested after his DNA was found on the Islamic holy book.

French declined to make any further comment afterwards.