BNP not to face prosecution after leaflet drop in Heanor

| Thursday, 16 February 2006 Source: Ripley Today

THE BRITISH National Party will not face prosecution for delivering campaign leaflets in Heanor, which claimed a local woman had been raped by asylum seekers.

The party distributed the leaflets in the run up to the town's by-election for a seat on Amber Valley Borough Council, in which Labour's Alan Longdon claimed victory over the BNP's Paul Snell.

Police called the allegations which were written based on local hearsay "unfounded" and referred the leaflets to the Crown Prosecution Service for investigation.

A spokesperson for the CPS said: "Whilst those details in the leaflet regarding the alleged rape are factually incorrect, this in itself does not constitute a criminal offence.

"A senior CPS lawyer has reviewed the evidence, and concluded that the contents of the leaflet could not be deemed racially inflammatory, nor could the limited information concerning the alleged rape prejudice the ongoing court proceedings in relation to a male already charged with an incident in Langley Mill.

"Following thorough and careful consideration, we have concluded that there is insufficient evidence to charge any individual with any criminal offence."

Sadie Graham, regional organiser for the BNP, said she was not surprised that the CPS will not be taking it any further. She said: "We don't feel the leaflets were racially inflammatory. We just responded to information passed on to us from residents."

Deputy leader of Amber Valley Borough Council Conservative councillor Stephen Hayes said: "I'm certainly not very happy with the decision. I would have expected it to be taken further and think that had it been any other party in the election it would have been."

Amber Valley MP Judy Mallaber said: "I'm bitterly disappointed at the decision not to prosecute. What other motive could they possibly have in wrongly attributing this to asylum seekers and migrants other than to stoke up racial fears and antagonism."