Six advertisers have pulled their ads from Facebook after their brands appeared on a page related to the British National Party, which is known for its right-wing, xenophobic politics.

First Direct, Vodafone, Virgin Media, the AA, Halifax and Prudential all yanked their ads, saying that they had to protect their brands.

"We are obviously concerned about where our advertising appears," First Direct spokesman Rob Skinner told The BBC. "We have got to make sure that the places we advertise are consistent with our own values and identity."

A spokesman for Vodafone said it bought the space in bundles across a number of websites.

Facebook had no comment.