Meat stolen for Burnley BNP man’s memorial BBQ

A prolific conman stole more than £200 worth of meat for a gathering in memory of a former BNP councillor.

Norman Jones, a former leader of the notorious Burnley Suicide Squad and convicted killer, stole the haul from Tesco before a barbecue for former borough councillor Luke Smith.

Ex-Lanehead councillor Mr Smith, 26, of Brunshaw Road, Burnley was found hanging off Yorkshire Street last month. Like Jones, Mr Smith was a convicted football hooligan and he was forced to resign as a borough councillor in 2003 after allegations of violence at a British National Party event in Sawley.

His funeral was held at St Catherine’s Church, Todmorden Road, on July 29.

Trouble flared following the service, with objects hurled off the Yorkshire Street bridge but no arrests were made by police, who dispersed the mob.

Jones, 58, formerly of Colne but now living in Williams Road, Burnley, admitted theft of the meat, valued at £216, and was given a three-month curfew, from 7pm to 7am, with £75 costs. A district judge told him even if he wanted to give Mr Smith a good send-off, items on the shelves at Tesco had to be paid for and were not for the taking.

Richard Taylor, defending, said Jones, who has a number of previous fraud convictions, had recently been diagnosed with angina and had pleaded guilty at the first opportunity and the property had been recovered. Mr Taylor added: “He is getting too old for this kind of thing and he knows it.”

Jones is banned by the courts from collecting for a fictitious children’s ju-jitsu club after he was caught carrying out a scam in Burnley and Pendle in January. He has previous convictions for falsely collecting money for a fire victim and children’s charities across East Lancashire.

Lancashire Telegraph