The controversial Westboro Baptist Church (WBC), a Kansas-based congregation infamous for its demonstrations outside funerals for US soldiers killed in Iraq, issued a homophobic statement which said the Australian actor, who was found dead yesterday, was “now in hell”.

“God hates the sordid, tacky bucket of slime seasoned wit h vomit known as Brokeback Mountain – and He hates all persons having anything to whatsoever to do with it.

“Heath Ledger is now in Hell, and has begun serving his eternal sentence there.”

In a later interview, church spokeswoman Shirley Phelps-Roper told Fox News that the demonstrations would be limited to memorial services held in the US.

“He got on that big screen with a big, fat message: God is a liar and it’s OK to be gay,” Ms Phelps-Roper said.

“WBC will picket this pervert’s funeral, in religious protest,” the statement said.