Firebrand loyalist Jim Dowson is building an “evangelical army” in preparation for a “holy war” between Christians and Muslims – and he’s styling it on the UVF.According to a shock report the convicted former BNP moneyman has even been organising so-called ‘fight clubs’ across the UK as he prepares his ‘troops’ to take on jihadists.

The Scottish self-proclaimed Reverend, who has been living in Comber for almost 20 years now, is the founder of far-right campaign group Britain First.

And according to anti-fascist campaigners Hope Not Hate, Dowson – who was at the forefront of the Union flag protests until he was charged with taking part in illegal protests – heads the fastest growing far-right group in the UK.

And according to Hope Not Hate’s research director Matthew Collins, the former BNP bankroller has drawn on his experience of rubbing shoulders with loyalist paramilitaries in Ulster.

Pictures of Britain First demos show Dowson on stage with men dressed in paramilitary-style uniform, not unlike the period dress worn recently by UVF men celebrating the Ulster Covenant.

“Jim Dowson is building an army of white, heterosexual, and crucially, Christian men to wage a war against Islamic fundamentalism,” says Collins.

“At one meeting in Berkshire Dowson announced to a rapturous crowd that his right-hand man, Paul Golding, would be building what he called a ‘defence force’ of ‘disciplined, heterosexual Christian men’ in preparation for conflict with ‘liberals, Jihadists and Communists’.

“A loyalist marching band drummed activists into the venue to collect their standards bearing the insignia of Christian crusaders and Dowson reiterated from his mock pulpit that this was a Christian ‘defence force’ and that the standards were to signify the blood sacrifices of the Christian soldiers before him. Nobody blinked an eyelid.

“Hope Not hate have been investigating and keeping an eye on Britain First

for several years now and we believe them to be the most dangerous far right group to have emerged on the British far-right scene for years.”

It is also reported how Dowson and his group have been organising intimidating ‘Muslim Patrols’ across the UK and targeted followers of radical preacher Anjem Choudray.

The report also states how Dowson has waged war on the BNP and EDL who he hopes to win support from – and in the case of the BNP Dowson used the membership database he used to run to send out 40,000 letters appealing for BNP members to switch to Britain First.

As with all of Dowson’s business adventures there is always an appeal for ‘donations’ to the cause.

He’s been doing that ever since he set up the UK Life League – an anti-abortion charity which does little campaigning but has a glossy website which does plenty of ‘fundraising’.

In Collin’s in-depth investigation about Britain First he reports how Dowson and former BNP leader Paul Golding have been busy organising bloody fight clubs for activists to get them primed for conflict with Islamist extremists.

“They have been booking mixed martial arts gyms so they can fight among themselves, training for confrontations with Muslims,” says Collins.

The pair also set up the group’s fundraising base from a PO Box address listed in the centre of Belfast before they helped set up the Protestant Coalition which was beset by infighting from the start.

Earlier this year the Sunday World revealed there were already close links between Britain First and Ulster and not just because of Dowson’s leadership.

We also revealed how Shankill loyalist Matt King had become a prominent member of the group, until he died suddenly just before he was about to take part in one Britain First’s infamous Mosque raids last month.

The Sunday World understands King, who had two children, boasted about his loyalist ‘credentials’ to his far right pals.

He claimed to be part of Johnny ‘Mad Dog’ Adair’s notorious ‘C’ Company outfit on the Shankill Road.

He also claims that he served 12 years for terror offences back in 1995 and had been shot and injured in a bomb attack.

King took part in a controversial protest outside the Indian Embassy in central London recently.

Along with Paul Golding and around six others the group hurled abuse at a group of Muslim men they claimed we supporters of Islamic terrorism.

A video posted online shows King shouting abuse at one of the men who appears to be ethnically white but has converted to the Islamic faith.

Britain First now has members across the UK and is rapidly growing both in membership and in financial wealth.