Six men have been charged with belonging to banned neo-Nazi group National Action, which has been proscribed as a terrorist organisation.

It follows a national investigation which involved police executing a number of warrants and searched properties across England and Wales.

The men charged with belonging to a proscribed organisation are Garron Helm, 24, from Merseyside; Matthew Hankinson, 23, from Merseyside; Andrew Clarke, 33, of Warrington; Michael Trubini, 35, of Warrington, Christopher Lythgoe, 31, of Warrington and an unnamed 22-year-old man from Lancashire.

Lythgoe has also been charged with encouragement to commit murder.

The 22-year-old man is also accused of intending to commit acts of terrorism contrary to the Terrorism Act 2006 and threats to kill.

The men are due to appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.

National Action became the first extreme right-wing group to be banned under terrorism laws in December 2016.

In the official list of proscribed groups, the organisation is described as ''virulently racist, anti-Semitic and homophobic''.

What is a proscribed organisation?

An organisation that the Home Secretary believes is concerned in terrorism can be proscribed under the Terrorism Act 2000 if it is proportionate to do so.

This means that the organisation commits or participates in acts of terrorism, prepares for terrorism, promotes or encourages terrorism or is otherwise concerned in terrorism.

When deciding if it is proportionate to proscribe an organisation, the Home Secretary will consider several factors, including the nature and scale of its activities, the specific threat it poses to the UK and British nationals overseas and the extent of its presence in the UK.

The Home Secretary can issue an order that an alternative name or alias is to be treated as another name for a banned organisation.