Police 'are soft on BNP'

A former BNP candidate who admitted sending racist hate mail has had the charges against him dropped – because he was not charged in time. West Yorkshire Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have been slammed by Brian Wainwright's victims for the failure and have been accused of taking a soft line on the BNP.

Wainwright, 38, admitted sending offensive and threatening letters at Calderdale Magistrates' Court last month. One warned of "spilling Muslim blood." He sent posters featuring skulls, crossbones, swastikas, Muslim insults and threats of violence, to Calderdale's first Asian councillor, a Halifax mosque and an anti-fascism campaigner. But, in what may be a legal first, the case has been dismissed because the police and CPS did not charge Wainwright within the six - month time limit for summary offences. Mr Wainwright, of Lee Mount Road, Halifax, was charged nine months after sending the last poster in April 2005. The error was not spotted until the last minute when magistrates were considering sentence.

Paul Sutcliffe, of Calderdale Unity Against Racism, received the first poster in February 2005. It warned his home would be visited by far-right group Combat 18. He was "amazed" Mr Wainwright had escaped punishment and is considering a formal complaint. He said: "I think the police and CPS have to ask themselves some serious questions over their featherbedding of the BNP. Here we have a guilty person who has admitted as much but still the authorities did nothing."

Councillor Mohammed Najib received a poster saying a race war would begin in Halifax. He said: "I am unbelievably disappointed. He made our lives hell and has just walked away." A third poster was sent to the Jama Majid Ahl-E-Hadith mosque in Halifax, with the words "Muslims will die".

Halifax MP Linda Riordan said: "The evidence was overwhelming and I am shocked it has not been taken further." A spokesman for Searchlight, an anti-facist magazine, said: "We would urge the CPS to raise their standards in all cases – especially with race-hate crime."

Neil Franklin, chief crown prosecutor, said the CPS was not consulted by police until the legal time limit had already expired. A West Yorkshire Police spokesman said they were disappointed with the outcome.

When asked by the Courier if he wanted to respond to the dismissal of the case, Mr Wainwright said: "I will do in my own time."

Halifax Evening Courier