“TOMMY ROBINSON” secretly recorded conversations with school staff in a bid to gather evidence for a libel case against him, the High Court heard today.

The English Defence League founder, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told a pre-trial hearing that he “had to” film people covertly because they might not want to stand by him in court.

The 38-year-old is being sued by Syrian refugee Jamal Hijazi, who was filmed being attacked in Almondbury School playground in Huddersfield in November 2018.

Mr Yaxley-Lennon claimed in Facebook comments that the then 16-year-old was not innocent, alleging that he had beaten a girl “black and blue.” 

In court, the far-right figure said that his covertly recorded conversations involved “people [who] have good jobs in the industry.”

“If people were free to tell the truth, I wouldn’t be standing here. Unfortunately I felt I had to do this,” he told Mr Justice Nicklin.

The judge replied that those recorded would be shocked to find that they now feature in a libel case. 

The trial is due to begin on April 19.