‘Racist filth’ at old Co-op

Pam Ross | Thursday, 21 December 2006 Source: This is Bradford

VILLAGERS have been left disgusted after a former shop front was branded with racist graffiti at the weekend.

The former Co-op, in Main Street, Steeton, was discovered on Saturday morning to have been marked with words in support of the British National Party and covered in racial abuse.

Keighley town Mayor Councillor Graham Mitchell, whose mother lives in the village, was alerted to the problem on Saturday morning, by which time police had been contacted.

Cllr Mitchell said he believed it was the neighbourhood watch co-ordinator who had informed the police. The graffiti has now been partially painted over.

Cllr Mitchell, a member of Keighley Together, said: "Steeton is a quiet and peaceful village where many senior citizens live in close proximity to the former Co-op store.

"They are extremely upset and very disturbed to see this appalling racist filth. The owners of the former Co-op property and the local residents do not deserve to be faced with such an outrage.

"There is a clear exhortation in these sick scrawlings to vote BNP'. The letter heading of the Keighley branch of the BNP includes the words serving Keighley Craven and Worth Valley'.

"If this attack is an example of the type of community care shown by BNP supporters, I sincerely hope that local voters will remember and will judge them," said Cllr Mitchell.

But the Keighley organiser for the BNP, Christopher Kirby, said the culprits did not represent the party in any way.

He said: "To write things like that is absolutely disgusting. We are in the process of looking at people who don't work for the party or are not good for the party.

"We want to distance ourselves from that. They don't represent the party in any way, shape, or form. If people think writing things like that relate to the BNP, we want them to stay away."

The issue of graffiti was brought up at the last Steeton-with-Eastburn Parish Council meeting.

Cllr David Mullen said that in the last two weeks the graffiti around the village had increased and could now be seen at the Steeton bowling pavilion and throughout Eastburn.

A police spokesman said: "It has been recorded as criminal damage and inquiries are on going.

"Anyone with information is asked to call the Keighley police helpdesk on 01535 617059."