Donald Trump releases controversial first TV advert

Republican candidate Donald Trump has highlighted his plan to ban Muslims from entering the US in his first television advert in the 2016 presidential race.

The ad re-emphasises the Republican front-runner's previous calls to temporarily block Muslims from entering the country, but with exceptions.

The 30-second video is voiced by a narrator and features images of Hilary Clinton and Barack Obama, and also photos of the San Benardino shooters and so-called Islamic State militants.

The narrator states that Trump wants to build a wall along the southern border to stem illegal immigration, that would be paid for by Mexico.

This is said as the ad shows what appears to be dozens of people fleeing across a border, suggesting that it is the US-Mexican border.

However watchdog Politifact has claimed that the footage is actually of a small Spanish enclave in Morocco.

Trump's views have been widely condemned by both Republicans and Democratics that have labelled them un-American and counterproductive.

Yet his conservative and hardline approach has been popular with many of the white Republican primary electorate.

The presidential hopeful's campaign team say he plans to spend two million dollars (£1.36 million) a week on the advert that is due to begin airing on Tuesday in two US states.

The ad will be shown in Iowa and New Hampshire to begin with since these are the first two states that will cast votes in the Republican nominating contest.

Trump currently leads national public opinion polls of the 12 Republicans seeking the party's presidential nomination, although he is trailing in some state polls.

The US presidential election will take place in November 2016.