[Shasown]

A Muslim extremist has been fined £50 for burning poppies and chanting hate slogans on Armistice Day.

Emdadur Choudhury, 26, was part of a demonstration by members of Muslims Against Crusaders who protested at the end of a march celebrating the UK's armed forces.

The group chanted through a two-minute silence with slogans such as: "British soldiers, burn in hell."

Choudhury waved a protest flag and then set fire to two large plastic poppies.

Witness Tony Kibble, whose grandfather was a WW2 veteran, said he felt "sick inside".

The incident caused scuffles with members of the right-wing English Defence League who had been kept apart from police.

An officer was hurt during the arrest of Choudhury and fellow protestor Mohammed Haque, who was found not guilty.

Choudhury was convicted of actions "likely to cause harassment, harm or distress."

Chief magistrate Howard Riddle described it as "behaviour that is bound to be seen as insulting".

He said: "It insults the memory of the dead. It insults those that commemorate the dead.

"It insults those who have lost loved ones. It insults those who use this occasion publicly to show their gratitude for lives sacrificed."

Mr Riddle said he had considered Choudhury's human rights of free speech, but "freedom of expression is not unlimited".

The Royal British Legion said it did not want to give the protestors more publicity, but a spokesman added: "The poppy is a symbol of sacrifice and valour.

"The two-minute silence is a time for reflection, not political protest."

Choudhury was not in court to hear his sentence.

His £50 fine was means tested after his lawyer said he earned £480 a month from part-time work and got £792 a month benefits.

The maximum fine for his offence - the least serious of public order crimes - is £1,000.

I think the £50 fine is laughable. He has over £1200 coming in, nearly £800 of which is benefits from a system that was and is defended by those who he wants to "burn in hell".

Would love to know why he was charged with the least serious public order offence.