Over 5,000 people have signed a petition stating he shouldn’t be allowed into the country.

They claim he has homophobic and islamophobic views and is “likely to promote prejudice and hatred”.

The preacher, who’s the son of legendary evangelist Billy Graham, is due to speak at Blackpool’s Festival of Hope at the city’s Winter Gardens in September next year.

But after recent endorsements of Donald Trump and what has been seen as inflammatory statements about Islam, many are unhappy about the visit.

Labour MP Gordon Marsden is calling on the home secretary to refuse him entry into the UK.

Speaking to BBC Lancashire, he said some of his previous comments were “incompatible with what Jesus said in the Bible”.

His visit is however is being supported by many local church leaders.

Franklin Graham has led evangelism events across the world in his role as president of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association.

He’s also reached millions of people through his aid work with the charity Samaritans Purse.

In a statement to Premier, the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association said: “The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association is working in partnership with local churches to hold this event next year in Blackpool.

“It will be a positive and encouraging event with music and also a message from Franklin Graham about the hope that can be found through a relationship with Jesus Christ. It will be free and everyone is invited to attend.”

Waris and Reena Masih from Faisalabad borrowed 40,000 rupees from a local lender to pay for home repairs and the arrival of their baby daughter.

When they were unable to keep up with the interest payments, a gunman reportedly visited their home.

It’s claimed he started firing at Waris from afar but ended up hitting daughter Myra, aged six, in the head and the shin.

Masih says after rushing to seek medical treatment, he was turned away by one hospital and it was too late by the time they arrived at the second.

Speaking about her loss, Reena said: “I cannot express the pain. I feel deeply depressed and find it hard to carry on. I feel as if I have failed my daughter.

“It is my responsibility to my remaining children and my husband that keeps me going and the knowledge that God is now caring for my daughter in heaven where one day I will see her again and ask her to forgive me.

“I will cry and mourn my daughter every day till the day I am reunited – she will never be forgotten.”

Wilson Chowdhry, Chairman of the British Pakistani Christian Association (BPCA), said: “Living in Pakistan as a Christian is in most cases a gruesome ordeal, you live life on the margins, are severely discriminated against and persecution is only around the corner.

“Incidents like this gory tale of a young child being murdered to compensate for a missed payment on a loan shark agreement, are sadly common-place. Worse still such crimes…

Pastor David Grisham from Anchorage in the US state of Alaska filmed himself entering the Santa Clause House in the small town of North Pole before approaching families in a queue.

Addressing parents and youngsters waiting outside the store’s grotto, he said: “I wanted to tell you guys that the real reason for the season for Christmas is about Jesus.”

“I wanted to tell you kids today, too, that Santa Claus does not exist.

Former leader of the Repent Amarillo group in Texas, Pastor Grisham now runs the Last Frontier Evangelism-Repent Alaska project.

In a similar incident last year, the former security guard targeted families waiting to have pictures taken with Santa inside a shopping centre, according to Amarillo Globe News.

The pastor also told children in the Santa Clause House: “The man you’re going to meet today is a man wearing a suit like a costume and it’s make-believe.

“It’s not real.

“Your parents have been telling you a story that is not true.

“There are no reindeer, flying reindeer.”