Russell Howard reveals his fears over EDL threats

Comedian Russell Howard has revealed how he lived in fear of being beaten up after making jokes about the English Defence League.

The far right group’s supporters posted threats on the internet and protested outside one of his gigs after he made fun of them on his BBC3 show. He showed footage of an EDL march held in Blackburn, where it was reported that because they could not clash with anti-fascist opponents, they ended up fighting each other.

The comic said Russell Howard’s Good News show: “I imagine they were like ‘Oi Terry, You’ve given me a black eye. Now I hate my own eye!’ I wouldn’t be surprised if one of them started a fight with their own shadow. ‘Stop following me, you black b******’.”

A Facebook group sprung up after the programme, urging people to demonstrate outside the funnyman’s gig in Chorley, Lancashire, in May. The EDL also criticised his “three minute rant on how ‘thick’ we all are’, with one supporter adding: “We’re going to be loud and he’s going to know we’re there. Hopefully, next time he’ll think twice before opening his middle class mouth about things he knows nothing about.”

Other supporters used racist terms for Muslims and made threats against him.

Midland-based Russell says: “It was quite hairy. I am an absolute coward, and I admit that for a while I imagined that everyone coming near me was going to beat me up. I had a pretty tough month. Every time we filmed the Mystery Guest section of Good News, where we get someone on and I have to guess who they are, I thought it would be an EDL supporter who was going to hit me. But I think you have to stand by your jokes. They may have been cruel, but they were about people I believe are idiots.”

Russell’s pop at the EDL is unusual for him, as his comedy style is playful and good-natured. Though sitting opposite acerbic Frankie Boyle on Mock The Week made him appear even nicer. He does, however, defend a comic’s right to be cruel in their act.

“Everyone likes a good cruel joke,” insists the 31-year-old. “But you have to stay true to yourself. If you are going out of your way to be vicious, it will just have diminishing returns. Light and shade is good, rather than being unremittingly nasty.”

Russell lives in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire with his girlfriend Cerys and Jack Russell dog Archie. On December 14 he returns to Birmingham’s LG Arena at the NEC for another of his shows on his Right Here, Right Now tour. Russell moved to Leamington three years ago when Cerys was a medical student at Warwick University, and now she’s qualified as a doctor and working in the region, he expects to live here for at least another two years.

“I love it,” he says. “When I’m recording my TV show I stay in London, but then it’s so nice to come back home. When I’m in Leamington I’m not working. I just walk the dog, play five-a-side with my mates and hang out in the pub.”

Sunday Mercury

Thanks to Zaahid for the heads-up

English Defence League in threat to county events over ‘Christmas’

A right-wing group has threatened £500,000 action against councils in Shropshire if they hold any festive events that do not contain the word Christmas in the title.

The English Defence League has written to all major councils in the country – including Shropshire and Telford & Wrekin – warning them not to “lose the meaning of Christmas”.

The group is threatening repeat demonstrations in towns and villages it believes to be ignoring its advice. Events that may be deemed to breach the EDL threat include Christmas lights switch-ons, pantomimes and nativity plays.

In the letter, sent from the party head office and seen by the Shropshire Star, the EDL says: “As I’m sure you are aware Christmas is a long-established tradition in British history and indeed other cultures and religions and dates back as far as 400AD.

“Please keep Christmas as Christmas and not let our culture and traditions be eroded and preserve English values.

“Any council that does not keep the word Christmas in the annual celebrations and opts for Winter Festival, out of the politically correct appeasement of others to the detriment of our traditions, will have their town visited by the English Defence League throughout the following year.

“The average cost to the council is £500,000 when the English Defence League demonstrates at any given location and it is hoped this will be avoided by your council keeping the word Christmas alive. Do not lose the meaning of Christmas by changing it to Winter Festival.”

Telford & Wrekin Council confirmed it had received the letter, and had passed it onto the police.

A Telford & Wrekin Council spokesman said: “This is a generalised letter to all local authorities and there is no specific reference to Telford & Wrekin. As a matter of routine procedure, we have passed the letter to West Mercia Police for information. We are happy that Christmas celebrations will proceed in the borough as normal.”

Shropshire Council said it would not be advising county events to alter their titles. A Shropshire Council spokesman said: “Any events held by the council are named whatever is deemed most appropriate and suitable by the organisers.”

Shropshire Star

We'll set dogs on you: BNP thugs

Two anti-BNP protesters were told they would have their throats ripped out by Rottweilers if they continued to disrupt a fundraising dinner in Ross-on-Wye.

Mother-of-five Antoinette Beizsley, 47, said she was also "pushed hard" by BNP-hired thugs at the town's Chase Hotel when she and members of her family breached a police line to enter the hotel's grounds, before being verbally threatened. Antoinette's aunt Sue Fellows, also received the threat. Sue, who is a youth worker at Cinderford's CANDI drop-in centre, said: "They told us if they saw us again they'd open the back of their van and set their Rottweillers on us. They said the dogs would rip our throats out."

One protester, a 19-year-old from Worcester, was given a fixed penalty notice by police for a minor public order offence.

Up to 100 anti-fascist demonstrators – many from Ross-on-Wye and the Forest of Dean – protested as guests of the BNP's Trafalgar Club arrived for a dinner fundraiser for the extreme right-wing party on Saturday evening. One vehicle was pelted with eggs.

Antoinette, who now lives in Wiltshire, said: "I used to be politically active against fascists a long time ago and Ross is my hometown, so I felt incensed when I discovered BNP members were there. I have always been against bullies, and the BNP are the worst kind. With their racist and discriminatory beliefs, I don't think they should be legal. I was proud to be there demonstrating against neo-Nazis with six members of my family. I was shocked at the behaviour of the security officers."

Her son Adam is now organising an online campaign on Facebook urging businesses and travel websites to boycott the hotel for hosting the annual dinner.

Sue Fellows said: "I live only a few hundred yards from the Chase Hotel and I've used it in the past. It's shameful that the hotel took the booking, and didn't even inform its staff or other guests until the last minute. My grandfather fought against the Nazis and Hitler in the Second World War, and now we have fascists on our doorstep. We had to make a stand against them and their hateful beliefs. Britain has always been a multi-racial society and I see nothing wrong with that."

On Sunday morning BNP leader Nick Griffin was spotted with his entourage taking a pleasure cruise along the Wye at Symonds Yat.

A spokesman for West Mercia police said: "The protest went ahead peacefully and there was no need for any proactive police intervention. Disruption to local residents and visitors was kept to a minimum."

While a recently leaked BNP members' list showed the party has just six members within the Forest of Dean constituency (down from nine in 2007), the Hereford constituency, which includes Ross, has its own branch and membership has risen from 15 to 25 within two years. The Hereford branch was set up by a leading BNP member and convicted terrorist Dr Lambertus Nieuwhof, whose company hosts a number of party websites.

Chase Hotel general manager Colin Parcell was unavailable for comment.

This is Gloucestershire

Threatening callers target BNP opponent

Police have launched an investigation into a series of sinister phone calls made to an opponent of the British National Party. The barrage of around 15 calls included a threat to "burn down" his home in West Cornwall. He said he received them within 24 hours of ringing up a handful of alleged local BNP members whose names, addresses and phone numbers had been leaked online.

The West Briton has heard a selection of the threatening messages left on his mobile phone over a three-day period last week. One caller said: "We've found out where you live. Didn't take us long, did it? We're coming down to Cornwall tomorrow."

Another message said: "I'm waiting for you to come out because I'm going to slit your ....... throat."

A third said: "We believe you like to intimidate people. We're doing the same thing to you. Your phone number's just gone out to 12,000 BNP members. Have a nice day."

The man who received the calls, who asked not to be identified for fear of reprisals, said he believed his phone number was posted on the BNP members' website forum by one or more of the Cornish members he had contacted.

He said: "I was looking through all the names and addresses (on the membership list) and rang up four or five to try to gauge why they had joined the party. Cornwall members knowingly provided all my details to a forum that is only open to BNP members. They constantly try to claim they do not intimidate people, but the reality is they cannot get away from these facts. Receiving these calls confirms why it is important for me and others to continue to expose them. I turned off my mobile and I'm just relieved I do not live near these people."

The stream of messages came several days after the BNP's Cornwall-based "webmaster", Colin [Simon, surely?] Bennett, said "possibly" four of the county's members had received threatening phone calls and death threats since their identities had become public.

Party leader Nick Griffin said the list – released on an internet blog by a "disgruntled former employee" – had invaded his members' privacy.

Alan Mobbs, spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police, said: "We can confirm that we have had a complaint from a man in West Cornwall concerning a number of threatening phone calls he has received. He has been visited by an officer and an investigation is under way. Relevant evidence is being gathered and the matter is being dealt with seriously. All efforts will be made to catch those responsible."

BNP spokesman Simon Darby claimed, however, that the man who received the calls had himself broken the law governing data protection by handling the leaked membership list. He said: "We are getting hundreds, if not thousands, of calls winding people up, harassing them and threatening them."

Referring to the batch of offensive calls allegedly made by BNP members, Mr Darby added: "It's not on and if a criminal offence has been committed, it should be investigated but I hope the police investigate him, too."

Cornish Guardian

BNP councillor is facing a backlash

Hundreds of protesters are tonight expected to ratchet up pressure on the West's first and only BNP local councillor. Taxi driver Michael Simpkins won his seat on Corsham town council in Wiltshire last month when no one stood against him. But after the unopposed election the picturesque town has become a cauldron of rows, threats and demonstrations.

The 21-year-old local man leading today's demonstration said he has become the victim of threats - while BNP supporters in the town have complained that Mr Simpkins was elected democratically and the demonstration is being orchestrated by anti-BNP campaigners and union leaders from Bristol and London.

Hundreds of protesters could arrive outside Corsham Town Hall this evening, two hours before the second full council meeting since Cllr Simpkins won his seat. A smaller demo before the first meeting passed off peacefully.

Kyle Thornhill, 21, said: "I'm from Corsham and I'm proud of the fact this is a multi-cultural country. My grandfather was from Barbados but I'm a local. I couldn't believe it when I heard this man won his seat because he was unopposed. We want him either to stand down or have a proper election to see if people support his views or not. It makes me a bit ashamed to be from Corsham if we're the first place in the West to have a BNP councillor. His views are racist and his party is racist - they won't allow people from ethnic minorities join their party, which is blatant racist discrimination," he added.

Mr Thornhill said he has received threats and intimidation for his part in organising the demo, which is also being promoted by anti-BNP groups such as Searchlight and the TUC. Other local councillors who are opposed to the BNP said they too had received threats, but added that hundreds of people in the town supported Mr Thornhill's stance.

Labour district councillor Christine Reid pointed out that three other BNP councillors had to fight elections in the town - and all lost.

But the BNP's presence in Corsham has been growing steadily in recent years. Last year, Cllr Simpkins made headlines after he took his teenage son out of the town's secondary school in protest at his opposition to the school teaching about Islam in the RE curriculum. There was more controversy when the town's cadet troop leader was revealed as a BNP member, and then the party began night-time patrols of the town - claiming it had been asked to by residents and shopkeepers worried at the rise in anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking from some of the town's youth. The patrols, and similar ones in nearby Calne, were slammed by the police as "unacceptable vigilanteism".

Cllr Simpkins yesterday dismissed Mr Thornhill as a "silly young man", and said the protests were being orchestrated by anti-BNP figures from cities like Bristol - many of the protesters would not be locals, he said. "With or without the protest I am going to treat the meeting as normal."

Western Daily Press