Race-hate clamper threatened to rape victim's girlfriend

Convicted: Peter Del Grosso has been told to expect a jail sentence

Notorious wheel-clamper Peter Del Grosso is facing jail after being convicted of a race-hate crime.

Del Grosso, of clamping firm Vehicle Management Limited, launched a tirade of racist abuse at a man who had gone to help a friend recover her clamped car. Del Grosso is also set to have his wheel-clamper's licence revoked after Humberside Police made an application to the Security Industry Authority.

A jury took less than 90 minutes to convict Del Grosso of racially aggravated assault after hearing how he also threatened to rape the man's partner.

Detective Constable Paul Gooder, of Hull's public protection unit, said: "Hate crime is something we take very seriously – there is no place for racist abuse. We have a conviction rate of more than 60 per cent and are determined to continue in not tolerating abuse of this nature. We've applied for Del Grosso's licence to be revoked so, hopefully, he will not be able to clamp another person in the city again."

Del Grosso hit the headlines in 2009 after readers inundated the Mail with complaints about Sector Security Ltd clamping at dozens of sites across Hull and the East Riding. Earlier this year, the Mail discovered Del Grosso – by then working with Vehicle Management Ltd – was charging motorists more to release clamped cars ahead of the clamping ban, expected by the end of the year. Grimsby Crown Court heard Del Grosso abused Mohammed Tarhan when he and his partner accompanied her sister to a back-street compound in Hull city centre on Christmas Eve in 2009.

Del Grosso, 48, threatened to rape Mr Tarhan's partner before demanding to see his passport.

Holly Barwell had her car clamped on December 23. She contacted Del Grosso and he told her to meet him in the street to hand over £310 to get her Vauxhall Corsa released. Mr Tarhan and his girlfriend, Emily Barwell, went with Holly and they were taken to the compound at R and M Motors in Dock Street. While Mr Tarhan, who is Turkish, was waiting, Del Grosso began shouting at him.

He called him a "foreigner" and said: "Where's your visa? I want to see your passport."

Mr Tarhan called police and blocked the entrance to the compound to stop Del Grosso fleeing. However, he was forced to move when Del Grosso summoned a forklift truck and threatened to crush his car.

Mr Tarhan said: "I began driving my car out of the yard and he looked at me and was saying something. I wound down my window and asked him what he was saying and he started swearing at me. He told me that he knew where we lived and he would come and give my family and kids a Christmas present. He said, 'I'm going to **** your wife.' He repeated it and I decided to call the police. He said, 'Foreigner, go back to your country.' I was just very angry."

Two months after the incident, Del Grosso tried to intimidate Emily Barwell by driving his car at her in the city centre. He was also believed to have been asking around takeaways in the city to find Mr Tarhan.

The victims were allowed to give evidence behind screens in the court during the five-day trial.

After the jury returned a unanimous guilty verdict, the case was adjourned for sentence until November 17. Judge Robert Moore told Del Grosso the pre-sentence report would have to contain "exceptional" circumstances for him to avoid a custodial sentence.

Del Grosso, who has no previous convictions apart from a technical issue relating to a gun licence, was released on bail until sentencing next month.

A spokeswoman for the Security Industry Authority said: "We are here to uphold the public safety and we issue licences to ensure only fit and proper people work in the industry. We can't have people who are a risk to the public operating."

The spokeswoman told the Mail once an application was made by the police, Del Grosso's licence would be suspended immediately pending a full review. She also said a conviction of racially aggravated assault would lead to the license being pulled.

People whose licences are revoked cannot reapply until after five years, by which point, wheel-clamping will have been outlawed.

This is Hull and East Riding

Mosque pork pest kept in jail

A CHURCHGOER who left pork products outside a mosque during a hate campaign against Muslims has been put behind bars.

John White left rashers of bacon outside the religious building in South Shields and other such products outside worshippers’ homes in the town.

Newcastle Crown Court heard despite the distress caused to the members of the Jam-E-Masjid mosque, chairman Mohammed Miah has told police he bears no grudge.

Stuart Graham, defending White, said: “The chairman of the mosque has said everything has calmed down and they don’t wish him any ill. Something has triggered this, but they certainly don’t wish him any harm.”

Judge Christopher Prince said Mr Miah has shown “great humanity and sensitivity” in attitude and should be commended for taking the view he has.

But the judge said White, who lives near the mosque and has attended a church in the same street for more than 30 years, must be kept in custody until he is sentenced in September.

White, of Homestall Close, South Shields, had been caught on CCTV carrying out the hate attacks in January and confessed what he had done when he was arrested.

But when his case got to court, he falsely claimed the police had somehow forced him to wrongly confess and pleaded not guilty.

White was due to be tried by a jury yesterday, but before the hearing started he informed his lawyers he would be changing his plea, and admitted five charges of religiously aggravated harassment, alarm or distress.

Judge Prince told White: “This is very disturbing. You have committed offences that amount to a campaign that demonstrated hostility towards Muslims. Such foul discrimination is offensive to all right-minded people, regardless of their religious beliefs.”

Stuart Graham, defending, said White has sought help with his mental health for many years and psychiatric evidence may be a feature of mitigation that could result in a non-custodial sentence.

Mr Graham asked that White’s bail be renewed as there has been no further trouble since the incidents, which seem to have been sparked by a falling out against one particular individual, rather than Muslims in general.

Mr Graham said the offences were “stupid acts” and White had associated with Muslims for many years without difficulty, adding: “The risk of damage to the public is incredibly small.”

But the Judge refused and told White: “It appears to me there is a substantial risk. You are, at the moment, in a volatile and unpredictable state of mind and it seems to me, if you are suffering from a psychiatric disorder, it would be rash of me to release you back into the community when there continues a risk you might behave in this way or launch into another campaign.”

The court heard a huge police investigation was launched when the mosque, a well-established part of the South Shields community, became a target.

It had been feared the offensive acts were being committed by an organised group rather than an individual.

But prosecutor Tom Moran told the court: “Thankfully, it was nipped in the bud as police caught him quickly.It has not led to other problems.”

Shields Gazette

Coronation Street actress Shobna Gulati quits Twitter over race hate abuse

Coronation Street star Shobna Gulati has quit Twitter after receiving racial abuse.

The actress, who plays Sunita Alahan in the ITV soap, has received race hate messages over the last two weeks. Last week she posted a message on the site saying: "Surprised at the racial abuse and desire to try and hurt people for no reason. I think I'm giving twitter a wee rest..gobsmacked."

But the 44-year-old has now apparently decided to quit the site altogether, telling her 18,467 followers: "Thanks for the banter I've enjoyed my time on twitter. Over and out."

Shobna, who is of Indian descent, has campaigned against racism and intolerance and used Twitter to spread information about her campaigns. She set up an account in support of the Sophie Charity, in honour of Sophie Lancaster, 20, who was murdered in Bacup in 2007.

Steve Huison, who played Eddie Windass in the Street, posted a message saying: "Absolutely disgusted to see that my lovely friend Shobna has been driven off Twitter because of racists. Shame on them."

Julie Hesmondhalgh, 41, who plays Hayley Cropper, in the soap has also received abuse via Twitter. Julie Tweeted: "Those who just use this to bandy their own hatred and desperation really need to look at themselves."

Manchester Evening News

Joint statement condemns BNP 'race hate'

Councillors, religious leaders and union representatives have joined together to condemn the British National Party

A joint statement by 44 people accuses the party, which is contesting Lewisham’s mayoral election, of stirring up race hate. Along with other mayoral candidates, signatories also include the Bishop of Woolwich the Rt Rev Christopher Chessun and Archdeacon of Lewisham and Greenwich the Venerable Christine Hardman. Representatives from Unison, the National Union of Teachers and students’ unions have also signed.

The statement says: "As representatives of many political opinions and parties in Lewisham, we affirm the values of unity, tolerance and mutual respect, which have always helped people from different backgrounds to live together. We are deeply concerned at the activity of racist and fascist groups such as the British National Party, which use people’s fears to stir up race hate, which their candidacy in the Lewisham mayoral election will seek to do.

"We also reject their demonisation of Muslims, and their claim to speak for Christians, as an affront to all our religions and beliefs and a danger to the unity of the whole community. In the next few months the people of Lewisham will choose their mayor who will lead Lewisham Council in all its policies at the town hall. We believe that a high turnout of voters will minimise the impact of candidates on extremist platforms in our borough. So we urge the overwhelming majority to turn out and vote, and give a clear signal that messages of race hatred and division are not welcome here."

Chairman of the Lewisham Anti-Racist Action group Councillor Jarman Parmar, who organised the statement, said: "Fascists were stopped in Cable Street in 1936 and at Lewisham in 1977, by myself and many others. They must be stopped today."

Tess Culnane, who has previously run for the National Front and has spoken at a meeting of the far-right British People’s Party, is standing as the BNP candidate. News Shopper is awaiting a comment from Ms Culnane.

This is local London

'Patriotic' English Defence League exposed as racist, violent thugs

Welcome to ED-Hell: Fan of EDL during London demo

The repulsive race-hate face of the English Defence League is unveiled today by the News of the World

A three-month probe by our undercover investigators exposes the TRUE nature of the organisation that claims to be patriotic, non-violent and non-racist. In reality the EDL is backed by a bunch of bigots, football thugs, and BNP defectors dedicated to promoting race war on Britain's streets.

Our reporters witnessed the EDL's sickening booze and drug-fuelled protest marches across Britain. As well as disgusting abuse directed at Asian and black Britons, our team also unmasked a leading figure declaring his hatred of "Pakis". A teenage youth leader also bragged about his role in footie violence while members boasted of snorting cocaine before protests.

Earlier this month, 400 EDL supporters were on hand to welcome reviled right-wing Dutch MP Geert Wilders during his trip to London. He was promoting his 15-minute film, which urges Muslims to rip up the Koran. As Wilders spouted anti-Islamic messages, EDL members - hidden behind scarves and hoodies - cheered in support. Later, scuffles broke out between EDL supporters and protesters from Unite Against Fascism (UAF), resulting in 50 arrests.

The EDL insists it is a "multicultural organisation" which has "no issues with Muslims who wish us no harm". Yet its appearance on the streets of Luton, Birmingham, Nottingham, Stoke and London in recent months has resulted in trouble.

One of EDL's leading figures Gurjamit Singh, 28, has previously declared in public: "We are not here to be anti-Muslim." Yet in private, our investigators found Singh, a British-born Sikh, failed to practice what he preaches. Stood with a group of beer-swilling EDL supporters shortly before the recent London march, Singh spat: "I f*****g hate the Pakis. India needs to go to war with Pakistan."

Menacingly, Singh told our undercover man he could "sort" any problems he was having with local Muslims. He said: "Let's say you've got a problem with Islamification in your area. Let me know and I will try and sort it out. That's my own little thing - know what I mean?"

When approached by News of the World last night, Mr Singh insisted he wasn't a racist but admitted: "Yes, I said that. It was a comment made in the heat of the moment."

There is also a rapid growth of football hooligans in the EDL - typified by Joel Titus, an 18-year-old Arsenal and Brentford yob. Titus told our investigators he was recruited by Casuals United, a far-right group of football hooligans led by Jeff Marsh, a thug who served two years in jail for stabbing two Manchester United fans.

In January, ahead of a demonstration in Stoke, we filmed EDL members on a coach drinking and boasting of using cocaine. We watched as the booze-fuelled yobs then clashed with police. Toasting the trouble in a pub afterwards, Titus bragged: "One of the policewomen had her hat taken off and she got smashed to f***."

Worryingly, EDL is attracting disaffected members of the BNP too. One of their co-founders is Chris Renton, a former BNP supporter. Before the Stoke march, he wrote an uncompromising message on EDL's website. It read: "If Stoke o.b. (Old Bill) bus us out of town, we'll declare war and come back next Saturday."

We have made our dossier, which includes video footage, available to the authorities.

NotW

Shun bigots

A Washington, D.C. area hotel last week closed its doors to a racist convention that had booked rooms under the benign-sounding name “American Renaissance” conference. Now all American hotels and conference centers should follow that lead because in the U.S., renaissance means overcoming bigotry.

“American Renaissance” conducts a biannual conference that promotes racial and religious hatred. This year one of its guest speakers at the February conference is to be Nick Griffin, a convicted criminal who heads the British National Party, a white separatist group that contends immigrants are causing the “genocide” of “indigenous” white Britons.

The hotel cancelled the booking after several groups asked it not to serve as host to a hate hoedown. Those groups will monitor the organization’s attempts to secure another meeting place. They include the United Steelworkers; One People’s Project, which describes itself as a resource for those fighting fascism; and the Mormon Worker, a newspaper based in Provo, Utah.

As a union that promotes diversity and inclusion, the United Steelworkers finds the doctrine and language of Griffin and “American Renaissance” reprehensible.

The “American Renaissance” website contends, for example: “Virtually no whites anywhere are willing to break taboos about racial differences in IQ, the costs of ‘diversity,’ or the challenges of non-white immigration.”

It specifies: “Gentlemen will wear jackets and ties to all conference events.” Apparently women are not invited.

It also tacitly acknowledges the offensiveness of its message by offering attendees tags bearing false names, which it describes as “war names": “We will prepare name tags in advance; please call us if you would like to use a nom de guerre.”

That link to violence is not accidental. By inviting Nick Griffin, the group embraced a criminal whose organization is connected to numerous violent – even deadly – acts.

In 1998, Griffin was convicted of inciting racial hatred for articles that denied the Holocaust. He received a suspended nine-month prison term. At the trial he said, “I am well aware that the orthodox opinion is that six million Jews were gassed and cremated and turned into lampshades. Orthodox opinion also once held that the world is flat.”

Griffin has cited neo-fascist Robert Fiore as a major BNP influence. Fiore is a convicted criminal and member of the Italian terrorist organization implicated in the 1980 Bologna bombing that killed 85 people.

Among the criminals associated with the BNP are David Copeland, a former member sentenced to 50 yeas for setting off explosives that killed three people and injured 139; former BNP candidate Coventry Roderick Rowley who was sentenced to prison on 14 charges of making and distributing obscene images of children, and BNP election agent Kevin Hughes who was sentenced to two years in prison for assaulting an Iraqi asylum seeker.

Griffin and the BNP were admired by U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum shooter James W. von Brunn, who killed a security guard when he opened fire in the Washington, D.C. museum lobby last year. Brunn, a white supremacist who was convicted and imprisoned earlier for an armed attempt to kidnap Federal Reserve Board members, went to see Griffin speak when the BNP leader lectured in the U.S. previously. Brunn wrote on his blog that although he had misgivings about Griffin allowing Jews to join the BNP:

“My hat is off to this fighting white man, Nick Griffin, for the incredible victories for White Britain which his hard work, rhino-thick skin against Jewsmedia criticism, and inspired leadership have made possible. . .Hail the white leader, Nick Griffin!”

Brunn died in prison in January awaiting his murder trial.

Griffin himself is again facing the potential of imprisonment, this time over the BNP’s racist constitution. A British court ordered him to change the document so that it no longer bars admission of Asians, blacks and members of other ethnic minorities. The BNP constitution also says:

“The British National Party stands for the preservation of the national and ethnic character of the British people and is wholly opposed to any form of racial integration between British and non-European peoples. It is therefore committed to stemming and reversing the tide of non-white immigration and to restoring, by legal changes, negotiation and consent, the overwhelmingly white make-up of the British population that existed in Britain prior to 1948.”

Griffin suggests non-whites be paid to leave Britain and return to their countries of origin. It’s not clear how that would work for minorities who’ve lived in Britain for generations.

The court initially set the end of January as a deadline for the constitutional change, but has given Griffin two more weeks to comply. This convict connected to so many other criminals apparently received a visa to enter the U.S. How likely is it that he would he have gotten one if he were a Muslim endorsing the “cleansing” of Christians?

Hotels and conference centers have every right to shun the likes of Griffin and “American Renaissance.” Refusing to provide a forum for hate is not a denial of First Amendment free speech rights. Griffin and the American Renaissance are free to spew their race and religion-based venom in any public park or on any private property owned by a like-minded bigot.

United Steelworkers International Vice President for Human Affairs Fred Redmond writing at The Hill

CPS refuses to reveal details of Nick Griffin's race hate trial

Prosecutors claim releasing information about 1998 case would breach BNP leader's data protection rights

The Crown Prosecution Service is blocking attempts to disclose details about the prosecution of Nick Griffin, the leader of the British National party, for race hate crimes, claiming that to do so would breach his data protection rights.

Griffin was given a suspended prison sentence in 1998 after being convicted of "publishing or distributing racially inflammatory written material", an offence under the 1986 Public Order Act. The following year he was elected leader of the BNP.

The prosecution centred on a magazine edited by Griffin called the Rune, in which he dismissed the Holocaust as a hoax. At the trial he sacked his legal team and, conducting his own defence, attempted to justify the material he had published.

Griffin has been widely reported as dismissing the Holocaust as an "extremely profitable lie" when he gave evidence at Harrow crown court. But no transcript of the hearing was made and the only records about the case are held by the CPS.

Although the trial was heard in open court and ended in Griffin's conviction, the CPS has rejected an request made under the Freedom of Information Act (FoI) for disclosure of information in its files on the grounds that it is "sensitive personal data" that is protected by the Data Protection Act.

In a letter to the Guardian, which submitted the request almost four months ago, the CPS said: "The majority of the information contained in the case papers is personal data.

"A large proportion of this personal data is sensitive personal data because it consists of information as to the commission of an offence and Mr Griffin's political opinions."

On appeal, the CPS last week reiterated its view that Griffin's rights are not outweighed by the public interest in the disclosure of the information.

Only last month the government announced fresh guidelines intended to give the public more information about criminal prosecutions.

Unveiling the guidelines, Alan Johnson, the home secretary, said they were intended "to set straight the misconception that human rights and data protection laws prevent criminals and their punishments from being exposed".

The Guardian is now lodging a complaint with the Information ­Commissioner's Office, which is responsible for final decisions on FoI requests.

The Guardian

Race hate case pair appeal

Two men who fled to the United States after being found guilty of publishing race-hate articles on the Internet have launched appeals against their convictions.

Simon Sheppard, of Brook Street in Selby, and Stephen Whittle skipped bail and headed across the Atlantic in July after a jury at Leeds Crown Court convicted them of a series of race-related offences. The pair claimed political asylum, and have been held in a California prison for two months while US officials set a date for their immigration hearing.

Leeds Crown Court has since received papers from the pair's legal teams, applying for leave to appeal against their convictions.

Barrister Adrian Davies, who represented Sheppard during the trial, said the case would probably be heard at London's Court of Appeal if the pair are allowed to challenge the jury's verdicts.

Sheppard, 51, and Whittle, 42, were given bail by a judge on July 11, despite the jury having already returned guilty verdicts on some of the charges. They were due to return to court three days later while jurors deliberated over further charges, but failed to show up. It's believed the pair travelled from the UK to Ireland by ferry before taking a direct flight to Los Angeles. The pair claimed political asylum and were detained at Los Angeles Airport by the US Immigration Naturalisation Service.

Their case has been followed by extremist websites, and supporters have begun sending donations.

Sheppard was found guilty of 11 counts of publishing racially inflammatory written material. He's due to return to Leeds Crown Court on December 8. Whittle, of Avenham Lane in Preston, was convicted of five counts of publishing racially inflammatory written material.

Selby Times

Forced out by race-hate mob

Family fled war-torn Angola for sanctuary the UK... but they were driven out in four days by this.

A family fled war-torn Angola only to face terror at the hands of a "seething" race-hate mob in Britain.

Yesterday 11 thugs were locked up for their part in the terrifying attack - aimed at driving their black neighbours out of an estate just four days after they moved in. The racists, some armed with baseball bats and crowbars, targeted Alvaro Vintem, his wife Maura Adriano and their three children as they enjoyed a barbecue with family and friends to celebrate a cousin's 10th birthday.

Alvaro, 30, said after the mob was sentenced: "I came to England for help and then this happened. At the time I remember thinking, 'Oh my God what have I come to?'"

The thugs stockpiled weapons in the garden of a house nearby, then threw missiles including bottles, sticks, cans and bricks at the family cowering in their front garden. One little girl begged: "Please don't let them kill me."

The racists attacked their victims' cars, causing damage running into thousands of pounds. They screamed "Get home you bunch of f***ing n*****s" and "Back off you black b******s, you don't belong here."

One witness claimed the jeering mob then got hold of the barbecue and threw it at the windows of the home in an attempt to set fire to it after the women and children had taken shelter inside. The men at the birthday party kept the thugs out of the house. The court was silent as video footage taken by a guest revealed faces twisted with rage. Seven racists have still not been traced.

Judge Peter Hunt said at Leeds crown court: "What's depressingly striking is the seething aggression demonstrated by so many."

Prosecutor John Topham told the court: "The Angolan family were terrified... children and women were terrified and crying. Some of the white residents on the estate were hostile to the presence of a black family. There were discussions in a cafe in the locality with the idea of forcing the family to move."

The family's arrival on the Seacroft estate in Leeds was marked by a stone through a window. Later, their door was broken down, windows smashed and their TV stolen. Then followed the 30-minute riot which erupted after their guests - including eight children - had arrived.

Alvaro, who came to the UK in 2000 and has now moved to another part of Leeds, said the mob "got what they deserved" after the judge locked them up. The father of three said when his girls now see a group they think they're going to be attacked.

The 11 pleaded guilty to violent disorder yet denied racist intent, but the judge declared race hate was the only motivation. David Holdsworth, 34, described as showing "extreme violence", was jailed for three years and seven months. Leanne Montgomery, 19, who "lost control" battering a car, was handed three years in a young offenders institution. Andrew Boylan, 25 and Liam Bellwood, 20, were jailed for three and a half years.

Other terms were Wayne Purchase, 31 - two and a half years' jail; Darren Kaye, 19 - 21 months in a young offenders institution; Jonathan Wilson, 19 - two and a half years in a young offenders institution; Patrick Burns, 34 - two and a half years; Wayne Lorimer, 21 - two and a half years; Glynn Milburn, 33 - 12 months; and Duane Watts, 24 - two-and-a half years.

HELL IN ANGOLA

• More than 1.5 million people died and 4 million were displaced in the 27-year civil war.
• It has the worst infant mortality rate in the world - 125 in every 1,000 die before their first birthday.
• More than 33 per cent of children under five suffer malnutrition.
• Life expectancy is 45 for men, 48 for women.
• Only 32 per cent have clean water and 42 per cent are illiterate.

Sunday Mirror

Stars unite in anti-BNP campaign

Falklands hero Simon Weston has added his voice to a campaign against the BNP in the Assembly elections. He has been joined by Twin Town star Rhys Ifans.The pair have added their support to the campaign by Unite Against Fascism.

The group claims that in English towns where the controversial party has been successful, racist attacks have increased. Unite wants to stop the BNP securing any seats in the Assembly next Thursday.

Simon Weston said: "I am against bigotry of all forms and I hate people using race to whip up fear and intimidation. I urge people not to propagate that kind of rhetoric."

Notting Hill star Ifans added: "To Nick Griffin and the BNP - the ethnic communities you dare to vilify in Wales are speaking Welsh, feeling Welsh and will forever be welcome in Wales."

South Wales Evening Post

Far-right party set to make gains in UK local elections

The British National Party (BNP) is set to field its largest-ever list of candidates in local elections across the UK next month. In response, the Board of Deputies of British Jews has asked expatriates living in Israel to vote.

The organization sent an "urgent call" to register to vote by April 18 to help prevent the BNP from increasing its influence.

"In light of the BNP's current push to field a record number of candidates in upcoming local elections in England, as well as those being held for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Assembly, it is imperative that we urge our constituents to register in time to vote," the board said in an e-mail sent to organizations and individuals in Israel.

Jewish community leaders and politicians have expressed concern over the far-right party's plans to field 821 candidates. The BNP hopes to increase its representation from 49 councillors to 90.

According to Henry Grunwald, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, "Any gains in the party's popularity damage society as a whole by stirring up communities and undermining the values of tolerance that have allowed the Jewish community and other minorities to flourish in Britain."

"Holocaust denial and Jewish conspiracy theories remain core elements of the BNP's ideology," he said.

The BNP is targeting several key councils that have a sizable Jewish population. It is contesting 32 seats in the Scottish Parliament, seven in the Scottish local councils and 20 in the Welsh Assembly.

"This shows that, where the BNP is concerned, there can never be any room for complacency," said Labor MP John Mann, chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Semitism. "The BNP represents a very real threat to all of Britain's communities, and it is vital that voters give them a message at the coming elections that the politics of race hate will not be tolerated in Britain."

A spokesman for the Community Security Trust said: "This continues the worrying trend of increasing BNP activity in recent years. They are still very much an extremist party and a divisive influence on local communities, despite their attempts to hide their anti-Semitism and racism."

A BNP spokesman predicted that "vast areas of the country will see a BNP candidate for the very first time."

"This is a tremendous testimony to the spectacular growth the BNP has witnessed over the last year," he said.

Phill Edwards, media spokesman for the BNP, told The Jerusalem Post: "The BNP is a party that campaigns for British values, which include freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom to discriminate if you want to - a fundamental human right - and to preserve the traditional culture and identity of Britain. I admire the Jews for having this social cohesive society and applaud them for that," he said. "I wish our white folk were the same. We are trying to do to our people is what the Jews do for their people."

Asked if his party posed a threat to the Jewish community, Edwards said: "Find out what the true message of the BNP is. Look through all the propaganda from the people who like to tell lies about us being fascists, which we are not. The problem in this country is the debate has been dishonest. People never debate our policies. People, Jews and gentiles, have all been brainwashed by the media - the BBC, the Guardian and the left-wing press in particular - that we are something we are not, and it will take a long time to change this and for people to overcome this. Have a look at our manifesto. There are no threats to anyone on it. We have nothing to do with fascism or Nazism"

Edwards said the BNP wanted restrictions on immigration.

"We are threatened by mass immigration, even by places like Poland," he said. "They are of the same race as the British but are a foreign culture, and it's destroying our native culture. This is why we want the numbers restricting. The problem lies when the numbers are becoming so great that our culture and identity is being changed. If you're a white person, or Jewish of white European ancestry, then I'd support the BNP, as no other party is going to preserve this British culture and identity," Edwards said.

He called Muslims a "big threat" and denounced the Respect Party of George Galloway, who, he said, was "encouraging Islam in this country."

"I would worry about the establishment parties who are doing nothing to prevent the Islamification of Britain," Edwards said. "If I was a Jew I would be worried. The Muslims are the ones going on about Holocaust denial. The rise in anti-Semitism isn't with the British, it's with the Muslims."

Asked about the accusation that the BNP has Holocaust deniers, Edwards said: "The Holocaust is a thing that happened 70 or so years ago in Eastern Europe. It's not our thing. It's nothing to do with the BNP and we have no comment on it.

"It's a terrible thing and we're sorry about what happened, but we didn't do it. It is being used by Jewish pressure groups to stop people criticizing multiracial Britain, and I think it's an abuse. I'm not denying it; we have no view on it."

"I don't know what the details are," he added. "I know something bad happened; I have no knowledge on it. When I was a kid in school in the 1950s there was nothing said about the Holocaust. It's only in the last 20 years it's got more and more in the media. I know something bad happened, and we don't want to make political capital out of it."

Jerusalem Post

Celebrities, faith and community leaders call for a vote against fascism

BNP to contest record seats in May elections – celebrities, faith and community leaders call for a vote against fascism

Today, a coalition including Scottish author Iain Banks, Welsh actor Rhys Ifans, Ken Livingstone, trade unionists, faith groups and students spoke out against the threat of the fascist British National Party (BNP) at the May Scottish Parliament, Welsh Assembly and local council elections.

The coalition, co-ordinated by Unite Against Fascism (UAF) was responding to today’s announcement by the fascist BNP that it is standing a record number of candidates for the Scottish Parliament in May, and the close of nominations for the local council elections and Wales Assembly seats.

The BNP, which believes in an all-white Britain and admires Hitler, announced it is standing in the Scottish parliamentary elections, leaving it set to receive £670,000 in state funding. It may gain free party political broadcasts in both Scotland and Wales.

UAF’s public call to oppose the BNP launches a nationwide program of campaigning to stop the fascist party winning further elected positions. UAF’s campaign includes days of action - leafleting areas targetted by the BNP and awareness-raising to turn out the anti-fascist vote, gigs with high profile bands and rallies.

Ken Livingstone, Chair, Unite Against Fascism said: “If we want to protect democracy and our society from extremism then there is a duty on all of us to stop the BNP from becoming the equivalent of the fascists who now are embedded in mainstream European politics. The British National Party is the biggest extremist electoral threat in Britain. The tolerance of the British National Party’s racist agenda is paying grotesque dividends, with fascists being elected to local councils in many parts of the country, and at these elections voters have the chance to halt the fascists in their tracks. Only by voting in big numbers against the BNP can we be sure of driving the fascists out of elected office.”

Dr. Abdul Bari, Secretary General of the Muslim Council of Britain said: "We are all mindful that the fascist BNP uses divisive tactics; scapegoating minority communities in order to spread hatred. They have branded Islam a wicked and vicious faith, whipping up hatred for electoral gain. The Muslim community is an integral part of British society - fascism is not. We are proud to join the diverse coalition of Unite Against Fascism to stand against fascism - we call on all Muslims, and fellow Britons everywhere, to register to vote by April 18th and use their vote on May 3rd."

Henry Guterman MBE, Holocaust Survivor says: “Having lost many members of my family in the Holocaust, I do not want to see a repetition of the Nazis systematic annihilation of many communities who spoke up against their evil policies. That is why I am determined to fight the BNP who are try to copy Hitler’s method of coming to power. Please follow me by using your democratic right to vote, as low turnout will benefit the BNP.”

Actor Rhys Ifans said: "To Nick Griffin and the BNP: The ethnic communities that you dare to vilify in Wales are speaking Welsh, feeling Welsh and forever be welcome in Wales. Let our immigrants stay and take your ignorance away. A Griffin is a badly drawn dragon".

Iain Banks, Author said: “The BNP are a bunch of desperate fascist losers. They have halitosis of the brain; their ideas stink”

Billy Hayes, General Secretary of Communication Workers Union said: “The trade union movement represents the diversity of Britain. It is criminal that fascists are allowed to masquerade as a political party in this election. The trade union movement will continue fighting to stop them infiltrating our ranks - we stand with asylum seekers, migrants, muslims and all those that are threatened by the BNP”

Gemma Tumelty, President of the National Union of Students said: "The BNP poses a threat to the diverse student community on our campuses. The BNP’s attempts to recruit students is very worrying and NUS is working with our members to resist this. NUS utterly rejects racism and fascism. Students can make the difference by registering to vote and using their votes in the forthcoming May elections. NUS maintains that all students have an interest in defeating fascism and urges that they harness their votes to ensure that BNP candidates are not elected. For its part NUS will continue to work with Unite Against Fascism to ensure that our movement pulls out all stops to halt the rise of the far right."

Weyman Bennet, Joint Secretary, Unite Against Fascism said: “It is a disgrace that the fascist BNP will be given hundreds of thousands of pounds of tax-payers money, and free TV broadcasts to spread their dangerous message of race hate and division. We call on postal workers not to deliver the BNP's literature and BBC employees to pull the plugs on the BNP's broadcasts. For evil to prosper all that is necessary is that good people do nothing.”

UAF

£370,000 to fight race hate

The biggest ever attempt to combat race hate in Lancashire will be spearheaded by equality chiefs who have secured a £370,000 grant.

Preston and West Lancashire Racial Equality Council (REC) is celebrating a major cash injection from the Lottery's Reaching Communities programme, which will allow it to expand its Race Hate Awareness campaign for the next five years. It comes two years after the city was shamed as England's worst trouble spot for racist incidents – and 10 months after the British National Party secured votes in city elections.

A year ago the LEP revealed incidents in Lancashire's schools were also at an all-time high – with nearly 472 reported to the county's education authority in 2004/2005 compared to 351 the previous period. But the project aims to stop trends like this by educating the public, especially schoolchildren, on the effects of racism and prejudices.

Chief executive Faruk Desai MBE said: "The grant will enable us to provide much needed assistance to victims of racism.

"The funding will allow us to support the public sector in developing and implementing policies spanning much of Lancashire in order to make it a safer and cohesive place for all, and targeted outreach services will be provided through this funding to those district areas most in need."

Lancashire Evening Post