BNP list: Police hunting for officers (From The Northern Echo)

BNP list: Police hunting for officers

10:04am Friday 21st November 2008

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POLICE in the region were last night scouring a list of British National Party members to uncover any serving officers.

Any officers found to be members of the far-right organisation face being sacked.

The move comes after a list of more than 10,000 BNP members was leaked on the internet earlier this week.

The database contains more than 800 men, women and teenagers from the North- East and North Yorkshire, including teachers, a prison officer and a school governor.

Although no members have listed their profession as police officer, forces are concerned that some may have joined the party but not disclosed their job.

Cleveland Police was still looking through the membership list last night.

A spokeswoman said: “Membership of any political party is in contravention of police regulations.

“In the case of membership of the BNP, such membership would be incompatible with our duty to promote equality.”

Durham Police was also checking employees’ names against those on the list.

While it emerged on Wednesday that the list contained a former North Yorkshire sergeant, a spokeswoman for North Yorkshire Police said its checks had revealed no serving officers.

On the list are company directors, a retired social worker, a retired nurse and even a karaoke DJ.

Two teachers from County Durham, brothers Mark and Adam Walker, are also listed.

Northumbria Police said it received a complaint yesterday morning from a member of the public who was unhappy about their personal details being released on the internet after they appeared on the list.

A spokesman said the force was looking into the complaint.

Nationally, it emerged yesterday that a former Green Party parliamentary candidate joined the BNP because he believed its climate change policy “was more radical”.

Keith Bessant ran for MP in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, in 2001 and 2005.

The Green Party also confirmed that a church minister, the Reverend John Stanton, from Rochford, Essex, whose name also appeared on the membership list, was also once a local Green Party chairman.

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