The Rolling Stones are backing a controversial German rock band booked to support them on their world tour.

Boehse Onkelz - which translates as Evil Uncles - admitted they had once recorded a racist song but said they had severed any connections with far right groups almost 20 years ago.

The band were booked to support the Rolling Stones in Hanover on 8 August by a German promoter.

A British newspaper branded the German rockers as a far right group, leading the Rolling Stones to consider dropping them from the show.

But Boehse Onkelz said they had long ago distanced themselves from fascists and had gone on to become anti-Nazi campaigners, writing anti-fascist songs.

And Stones lead singer Mick Jagger gave his support to the band, saying: "They seem to have renounced any tenuous links they may have had to any right wing organisations so we take that as proof of their good faith and we will keep them on the show."

Boehse Onkelz's bassist Stephan Weidner had acknowledged that the band had written a song called Turks Out in 1980 when they were aged about 16.

He said it was never meant to have been heard of outside their circle of friends.