How far-right Britain First has 'hijacked' remembrance poppy

​​​​Britain First has been accused of "hijacking" the red poppy and using it to increase its popularity and charity donations.

The far-right group has angered campaigners and veterans who say the use of the symbol on its website and social media pages is a "smack in the face" to the thousands of former service men and women who have sacrificed their lives for Britain.

The organisation, formed by former members of the British National Party, is a self-described "patriotic political movement," but they have been repeatedly accused of inciting violence against ethnic minorities, particularly Muslims.

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"Britain First are violent thugs and they can have no claim on this symbol," writes former army veteran James Wharton in The Independent. "By selling items branded with the poppy, Britain First is raising money to promote values that our military men and women have died to defeat."

The red poppy is a registered trademark of the Royal British Legion and is not allowed to be used for political or partisan use, not can any other organisation profit from its sale.

The Legion says it has repeatedly warned the political group about their "misuse" of the symbol. However, "the activity has continued and the Legion will be taking further action", a spokesperson told the charity news site Third Force Watch.

Britain First is by far the most popular political party on Facebook, reports the Daily Mirror, which has analysed its social media output. The group claims to be able to reach up to 20 million people – a third of the UK's population. Campaigners argue that it uses military symbolism to boost its audience numbers across social media.

"They share these images to trick people into liking and sharing and therefore increasing their reach on Facebook," a spokesperson from the opposition group Exposing British First told The Independent. It says many people are unaware that the remembrance messages they are sharing are from a far-right group.

"Britain First differs from your classic two-bit paramilitary hate group in one crucial way - they have developed a formidable social media presence and are using it to scoop up charitable donations," writes Willard Foxton in the Daily Telegraph.

This is not the first time Britain First has faced criticism for associating themselves with a campaign. In the 2014 European election it used the phrase "Remember Lee Rigby" on its ballot papers in Wales. His mother responded with outrage, saying: "Their views are not what Lee believed in and [have] no support from the family".

The British Legion advises customers to make sure the products they purchase are official poppy merchandise supplied through their licensed partners or from www.poppyshop.org.uk