Twisted BNP cashing in on my hero's funeral

Footage used to raise money

Grieving Jessica Deans has blasted the BNP for using a photo of her fiancé's coffin to plug their hateful policies. The picture - taken at the funeral of marine Liam Elms - appears in an online video to drum up election support for the far-right party. But Jessica branded it an outrage - and his family insist the fallen hero would have raged against the BNP's loathsome views.

Corporal Liam, 26, was killed by a roadside bomb while battling the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Jessica, a 22-year-old nurse, said: "I find it an outrage that an image of Liam's coffin on the day of his funeral is being used as propaganda for the BNP's personal gain."

And Liam's father Michael, 51, said: "We haven't give our permission for them to use any coverage of Liam's funeral on this video. It's out of order that the picture has been put in the public domain and for the BNP to use it for political gain is not on. It feels like an easy way for the BNP to get people involved in their party and to make money."

The video has been watched thousands of times since it was put on the BNP website and YouTube last week. Party leader Nick Griffin shamelessly uses it in a plea for cash to bolster his election fund. The photo shows Liam's coffin - draped in a Union Flag - being carried by three comrades.

Griffin, who was filmed in front of a portrait of Winston Churchill, describes the Afghan conflict as "a ludicrous no-win war" and pledges to end British involvement. And as Liam's coffin flashes on screen, he says: "We need our coffers filled so we can afford to fight every single seat we should be fighting up and down the country."

But Liam's dad - who also served in the forces - said: "I'm angry with the BNP because what they are saying is the complete opposite of what Liam wanted. Liam's last words to me were, 'I'm where I want to be, doing what I want to do with the people I want to be with. Don't worry'."

Michael added: "Any party that says the troops should be brought out without any power being in place to look after local Afghans is going against what our boys are fighting for."

Liam died on New Year's Eve 2008 on patrol in Helmand with 45 Commando and Afghan troops. The photo used by the BNP was taken at his funeral last January - when he was hailed a "true patriot". Hundreds of mourners packed St Joseph's church in his home town of Wrightington, Lancs, and more than 150 had to wait outside.

Liam's mum Maureen, 52, said: "I would love all the soldiers in Afghanistan to come home safe. But they have chosen to do a job out there and they will stay until the Afghans are safe."

Liam's family are asking people who want to help British troops to support legitimate charities such as Help For Heroes, the Royal Marine Benevolent Fund and the British Legion - not the BNP. His sister Rachael, 28, has raised £20,000 for Help For Heroes by climbing Mount Kilimanjaro. And she plans to raise more in a 900-mile London-Geneva bike ride - www.justgiving.com/rachael-elms - this year.

The BNP tried to play down the row over Liam's coffin. An official said: "The picture was intended to be representative of a problem we're trying to give our view on - it is not homing in on an individual. No offence was intended to the family."

People

Note: The People made a donation to the British Legion at the Elms' request for their interviews.

BNP faces inquiry over US fundraising

The British National party is being investigated by the Electoral Commission after the Guardian revealed senior figures in the far right group had set up a front organisation in an attempt to raise money from sympathisers in the United States.

Officers from Scotland Yard's domestic extremism desk took up the case after a series of links between the BNP and fundraising group Civil Liberty were revealed last month. A spokeswoman for the police confirmed that a file had been passed to the Electoral Commission, which is now taking the lead in the inquiry. Evidence of any offences would be referred to the Met's special prosecutions unit and the Crown Prosecution Service.

Since 2001 it has been illegal for a political party to accept overseas donations of more than £200, and party officials breaking the law face a year's imprisonment or a £5,000 fine. The Guardian found that Civil Liberty is run by senior BNP activists with all the money donated through its website going to the BNP's regional headquarters in the north-east.

It also uncovered an audio tape of the BNP chairman, Nick Griffin, speaking at a US conference organised by a former member of the Ku Klux Klan, in which he calls on sympathisers to support BNP members by giving money to Civil Liberty.

"Please throw money at the BNP, actually don't throw money at the BNP. Quite seriously it's against the law, but you can as my colleague will be telling you tomorrow, throw money at a group called Civil Liberty which helps members of the BNP and that is within the law."

The investigation also discovered that:

· Civil Liberty was set up and is run by Kevin Scott, who until September was the BNP's north-east regional organiser.

· The site's domain name is registered at the home in Stirling of Steve Blake, the BNP's website editor.

It is not clear how much money Civil Liberty has raised as its accounts are secret, but the American Friends of the British National party was estimated to have raised £80,000 to £100,000 for the BNP between 1998 and 2001 when it folded - money Mr Griffin said made a "significant contribution to the BNP's [2001] general election campaign".

The BNP and Civil Liberty insist they are completely separate organisations. Last night John Walker, national treasurer of the BNP, said: "I am at a loss, because we see major financial scandals involving millions of pounds involving the major parties, and here we have the powers-that-be looking for any angle to swat down the British National party over financial impropriety. I am completely and utterly confident that there has been no cross-pollination of funds from Civil Liberty and the BNP. They are entirely separate from ourselves. But we accept that because we are starting to become a threat to the political establishment, we will come under greater scrutiny."

However, Nick Lowles of anti-fascist organisation Searchlight welcomed the move. "The evidence suggests there may be some breach of the rules and it is good that the authorities are looking into this, " he said.

The Commission for Racial Equality has also written to the Electoral Commission calling for a full investigation into the links between the BNP and Civil Liberty following the Guardian article.

Last night the commission confirmed inquiries were underway and that it had contacted both Civil Liberty and the British National party.

Guardian