A political party campaigning against anti-Islam politician Geert Wilders has been struck off the electoral register by the mayor of the Dutch city of The Hague. The city is one of only two where Mr Wilders' Freedom Party will be fielding candidates in local elections in March.

The "Stop Wilders Now" party has said it will appeal the decision, in a case to be heard as early as next Tuesday by the Council of State, the highest administrative court in the Netherlands. It is not known who the founders of the party are.

The new local party is opposed to Mr Wilders' ideology which blames Muslim immigrants and their descendants for the wrongs in Dutch society.

The mayor of The Hague, Jozias van Aartsen, said the party's name is targeting a single individual, which constitutes an infringement of public order. "The name makes a personal threat against Mr Wilders, and it is inciting hatred", a spokesperson for the local government said in defence of the ban on the party name.

Geert Wilders (Photo: pvv.nl)