One of the internet's oldest and most popular major white supremacist sites has been shut down by its website host.

Stormfront went offline on Friday, with a web service tracking site ownership reporting the site's domain status as "under hold".

The category suggests the website is under legal dispute or lined up for deletion, the USA Today network reported.

Nazi shouts "Hey n****" and fires gunshot at counter-protester in Charlottesville

Network Solutions, the site's host, has also prohibited the web forum from being updated, transferred or deleted.

The prohibition will prevent the site's owners from re-creating it on another domain, meaning if it is deleted, they would have to start from the beginning.

Before it disappeared, the site hosted a series of discussion boards used by white supremacists and neo-Nazis, and boasted more than 300,000 registered members in 2015.

It was established by a former Ku Klux Klan leader in 1996.

Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Show all 9 1 /9 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Protesters clash and several are injured White nationalist demonstrators clash with counter demonstrators at the entrance to Lee Park in Charlottesville, Virginia. A state of emergency is declared, August 12 2017 Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Trump supporters at the protest A white nationalist demonstrator walks into Lee Park in Charlottesville, Va., Saturday, Aug. 12, 2017. Hundreds of people chanted, threw punches, hurled water bottles and unleashed chemical sprays on each other Saturday after violence erupted at a white nationalist rally in Virginia. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville State police stand ready in riot gear Virginia State Police cordon off an area around the site where a car ran into a group of protesters after a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Militia armed with assault rifles White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' with body armor and combat weapons evacuate comrades who were pepper sprayed after the 'Unite the Right' rally was declared a unlawful gathering by Virginia State Police. Militia members marched through the city earlier in the day, armed with assault rifles. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee The statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee stands behind a crowd of hundreds of white nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' during the 'Unite the Right' rally 12 August 2017 in Charlottesville, Virginia. They are protesting the removal of the statue from Emancipation Park in the city. Getty Images Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Racial tensions sparked the violence White nationalists, neo-Nazis and members of the 'alt-right' exchange insults with counter-protesters as they attempt to guard the entrance to Lee Park during the 'Unite the Right' rally Getty Violence on the streets of Charlottesville A car plows through protesters A vehicle drives into a group of protesters demonstrating against a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. The incident resulted in multiple injuries, some life-threatening, and one death. AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville Rescue personnel help injured people after a car ran into a large group of protesters after an white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia AP Photo Violence on the streets of Charlottesville President Donald Trump speaks about the ongoing situation in Charlottesville, Virginia from his golf club in Bedminster, New Jersey. He spoke about "loyalty" and "healing wounds" left by decades of racism.

The Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law claimed responsibility for the site's removal after it had "taken action against Stormfront."

The committee's executive director, Kristen Clarke, told USA Today: "Their website is a vehicle used to promote racially-motivated violence and hate.

"Following our efforts, Network Solutions has pulled the site," Mr Clarke added. "And while bringing down one site won't terminate their efforts, it will make it a little more difficult for white supremacists to sow hatred."

It comes two weeks after the white supremacist website Daily Stormer was also shut down and forced to retreat onto the dark web.