Tommy Robinson flees UK to ‘relocate’ with family as he ‘doesn’t feel safe’

Robinson posted a video of him playing paddle ball (Pictures: Tommy Robinson/Getty)

English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson has claimed he has been forced to leave the country because his family ‘no longer feels safe’.

In a new online video posted to his followers, Mr Robinson, 37, said he left ‘straight away’ a few weeks ago after an arson attack on his wife’s home.

He complained the UK’s new quarantine rules mean he’s unable to fly back for a planned appearance at a demonstration this coming Saturday. 

Although he doesn’t say where he is specifically, his mention of these rules has led many to speculate he may be in Spain.

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Mr Robinson says he’s searching for schools for his daughters and somewhere for his family to live with a view to ‘permanently relocating’.

He said: ‘There’s something I haven’t told everyone, I had an incident quite a few weeks ago with an arson.

‘I do have the video of everything, it was targeted against my wife’s property, and at that point we left the country straight away.

‘I’m look at relocating my family which is pretty hard to do, especially with Covid. We couldn’t even find a hotel.

‘Obviously my wife has had enough of everything. Someone has given us somewhere to stay so we left the country.’

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Brexit-supporting Mr Robinson – real name Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – has been accused of hypocrisy because of his stance on refugees and asylum seekers settling in the UK. 

The lawyer Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu tweeted: ‘No country should give Tommy Robinson refuge. Period.

‘Payback time for inciting hate against all those who sought refuge in UK from persecution/war/economic oppression.

‘He runs to an European country which would’ve been easier to settle in if not for Brexit. Can’t make it up.’

Another tweet said: ‘I hope the people of Spain extend “Tommy Robinson” the same warmth and understanding as he’s always extended to those seeking to make a better life for themselves in the UK.’

In the video, Mr Robinson breaks off from his paddle board game to apologise for not being able to make Saturday’s protest, organised by his new group ‘Heart of Oak’.

He said he had already booked his flights but, after the Government introduced a mandatory 14-day quarantine, he will send a video message instead.

The activist spent time in prison last year after he filmed defendants in a grooming trial and live-streamed it on Facebook.

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