Ex-BNP councillor is arrested over newsletters theft

| Thursday, 25 May 2006 Source: Halifax Evening Courier

FORMER BNP councillor Adrian Marsden has been arrested in connection with the theft of 2,500 anti-BNP newsletters.

The 45-year-old was picked up by police on Tuesday morning and questioned for several hours by detectives at Halifax police station before he was released on police bail.

He has been asked to return to the police station in a month's time.

Detective Sergeant Shaun Kenyon, of Calderdale CID, said the file had now been passed on to the Crown Prosecution Service who would decide whether charges should be brought.

The Searchlight newspapers were being prepared for distribution at Halifax YMCA on March 26 when a man was spotted loading bundles into his car. When confronted by one of the distributors, the man jumped into the vehicle and sped off.

The literature included articles about the activities of three BNP councillors for Calderdale, including former town representative Mr Marsden, Geoffrey Wallace and Richard Mulhall, both councillors for Illingworth and Mixenden.

Mr Marsden, who did not fight his seat at local elections earlier this month, would not speak to the Courier today.

The police originally refused to act on a formal complaint because the newspapers were to be given away by Calderdale Unity, a consortium which regularly gives out leaflets and newspapers in direct opposition to the BNP.

But following the intervention of Halifax Labour MP Linda Riordan, the head of the Calderdale force had a change of heart. Mrs Riordan wrote to divisional commander, Chief Supt Ian Levitt, and he asked detectives to review the case. As a result an investigation was launched.