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

Inquest opens into death of ex-BNP councillor

A post-mortem has been held following the death of former Burnley councillor Luke Smith.
The 26-year-old was found hanged from a tree on a bridle path next to the Princess Royal pub in Yorkshire Street on Sunday. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 5-43 p.m. The post-mortem was carried out at Burnley General Hospital on Tuesday, but toxicological tests are also being carried out. An inquest has been opened and adjourned while tests are carried out.

The former British National Party councillor was voted into the Lanehead ward in 2003 but resigned the same year over what he claimed was lack of support from the party's national leadership. At the time of his death he was said to be suffering from mental health problems.

Mr Smith, of Brunshaw Road, was a former pupil at Towneley High School, had previously trained as a gas fitter and was a lifelong fan of Burnley Football Club. His funeral service will be held on Tuesday at 11-15 a.m. at St Catherine's CE Church in Todmorden Road, and then at Burnley Crematorium at noon.

Burnley Express