A DECISION not to ban teachers from joining racist organisations could be pivotal for the BNP, an activist with the far right party claims.

Former teacher Adam Walker spoke out after the Government accepted a recommendation from former Chief Inspector of Schools Maurice Smith that laws stopping teachers from joining organisations such as the BNP and National Front would be disproportionate.

The General Teaching Council, in Birmingham, is considering allegations that Mr Walker expressed religious intolerance on the internet using a school laptop while working as a teacher at Houghton Kepier School, in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside.

Last night, Mr Walker, 39, said he was “over the moon”

with the review’s findings.

He said: “This could be a pivotal point for the BNP – it’s massive.”

Mr Walker said he had been visited by Mr Smith as part of the review.

“There are already safeguards in place and this has just been about Ed Balls trying to score points,” he added.

Speaking about his tribunal which will be held in May, Mr Walker said: “I think this could have a positive bearing.”

The review found that there were already enough checks and measures in place to prevent the promotion of racism in the classroom without turning to an overall ban on BNP teachers.

The review’s recommendations were accepted in full by Schools Minister Mr Balls, including a suggestion that there should be an annual “watching brief” on the safeguards already in place to keep racism out of schools.

Mr Smith said that during the past seven years, only four teachers had been publicly identified as being members of racist organisations. These include Mr Walker’s brother Mark, also a BNP activist, who last month lost his case for unfair dismissal for absenteeism from Sunnydale Community College, in Shildon, County Durham.

Mark Walker will contest the Sedgefield seat at this year’s General Election.

In a separate development, it emerged this week that his supporters had posted leaflets in Trimdon featuring a picture purporting to be a family of British BNP supporters, which actually featured actors from the US.

Mark Walker said: “The reason we used the photo of American models is because we can’t use party members because they will be persecuted, probably lose their jobs and get a lot of threats.”