Tommy Robinson's Instagram account was deleted 'in error' and is back online, spokesperson confirms

The account was reported and taken down for bullying – but has come back up

(PA)

The removal of Tommy Robinson's account was done "in error" and he is now back on the site, Instagram has said.

The site looked to have joined a whole host of technology companies in taking a stand against the far-right and conspiracy theorists when it removed the activist. But it said soon after that the ban was a mistake and has been retracted.

"The account @realtommyrobinson was removed in error and has since been reactivated," an Instagram spokesperson said.

Robinson – whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – had suggested that the removal had been part of a campaign against him, and posted on Facebook that his account there would likely be taken down soon too.

The account is thought to have been reported for violating Instagram's terms of service for bullying, and as a result was removed by mistake.

Instagram has a whole host of rules in its Community Guidelines, which police how people behave on the site. Anyone can report another account for breaking them, and the site received millions of those reports per week.

They are looked at by human moderators who decide if the account has actually breached the terms. But occasionally people are kicked off by mistake.