Police eject BNP man from Burnley Town Hall

A Burnley Council meeting was disrupted when police entered the council chamber and ejected a former British National Party candidate from the public gallery.

Three officers arrived at Burnley Town Hall on Wednesday night to arrest Rosegrove with Lowerhouse candidate Mr John Rowe after he appeared in the public gallery despite a warrant earlier being issued for his arrest.

Mr Rowe, who has been defeated in the last two elections, has a long-standing dispute with the council, which has led to him being barred from council buildings. The warrant for his arrest was made when he failed to attend court over allegations he set off a fire alarm at an earlier Burnley Council meeting. Police had issued him with an £80 fixed penalty notice in relation to an offence of criminal damage.

Council leader Coun. Gordon Birtwistle slammed Mr Rowe's latest actions as "outrageous" and said he was "disrupting the democratic process of the council".

He said: "I understand there was a warrant out for his arrest and somebody must have tipped the police off that he was here. I know he has been defeated twice in elections, but there are many other defeated candidates who accept it and do not behave like this. He wants to stop the work of Burnley Council, but cannot be allowed to do this."

Leader of Burnley BNP Coun. Sharon Wilkinson described Mr Rowe as a strong-willed man and said she could not disown him. She said: "I feel John Rowe and members of Burnley Council should sit down and try to solve their dispute. He is not a councillor so I cannot really tell him what to do, and I cannot disown him as he has stood for us in the past. I think he is a brave man by standing for us, but there is a dividing line which is why he needs to resolve this dispute."

Arrangements have been made for Mr Rowe to return to Burnley Police Station.

Burnley Express