WARNING: Contains offensive content

A MAN has pleaded guilty to threatening to shoot Muslims and kill them with fire in a series of vile Facebook posts.

Andrew Clive Littlefair said he would rather be locked up than apologise for posts including one in which he said: "It's time to unite and fight, wipe out this disgustin desease they call islam burn all mosques and wipe um out of this country...my grandad didn't fight and die for this!!".

The series of offensive comments was posted publicly on the Norton man's Facebook page just a day after terrorists targeted London Bridge and shortly after the bombing at Manchester Arena.

The 50-year-old, who left all comments online following a police investigation, was charged in relation to threatening posts made on June 4 2017 that included those that said: "Go to the extreme and kill um all with fire dirty Muslim b*******."

"It's time to fight bk kill them all dirty stinkin Muslim b*******."

"Kick um out wipe them out kill them all"

"If any 1 on my friend list is a dirty stinkin Muslim f**k off... I don't care what you say, your views are based on hate burn the Koran."

"Give me bullets for my gun I'll shoot every b****** one."

On Wednesday, Teesside Magistrates Court heard the posts were reported to police.

After speaking to officers, Littlefair again took to Facebook to post another racist rant, which he later described to police as an apology.

Magistrates heard that the post said: "I'd like to give a full apology for what may have seemed like a public order offence...

"I'm getting hauled in by police for freedom of speech when certain people in this country can preach hatred on the streets..."

He went on to say his views as a white Christian would not change and that he would rather be locked up than apologise.

In mitigation, the court heard that Littlefair - of Trefoil Court, Norton - had bi-polar syndrome and was a man of limited previous convictions.

He pleaded guilty to six counts of publishing threatening written material intending to stir up religious hatred.

Chair of the bench Dr Barry Wilson sent the case to the Crown Court for sentencing, with the case expected to take place following the submission of pre-sentence reports.

Littlefair was granted unconditional bail.