Despite claiming to be a party of law and order, the British National Party is home to criminals, racist thugs and football hooligans. The ranks of the criminals extend to the very highest level of the party. Here are just a few:

Nick Griffin (Party Chairman). Had a two-year suspended sentence in 1998 for inciting racial hatred. His magazine, The Rune, carried obscene antisemitic and Holocaust denial material as well as crude racism.

Tony Lecomber (Group Development Officer). In 1985 he was convicted on five counts for offences including possession of home-made hand-grenades and electronic timing devices. Sentenced to three years' imprisonment. In 1991 he was sentenced to another three years' imprisonment for unlawful wounding. He has a total of 12 convictions.

John Tyndall (founder of the BNP). Six convictions. In 1962 he was jailed for organising a paramilitary organisation. In 1966 he was again sent to prison for possession of a loaded gun. In 1986, he was convicted for incitement to racial hatred and sentenced to 12 months' imprisonment.

Many of the BNP organisers have convictions: Former National Organiser Richard Edmonds convicted for his part in a vicious bottle attack 1993. Steve Belshaw (East Midlands organiser) convicted in 1994 for assaulting a lawyer. (At the time, Belshaw combined his BNP membership with Combat 18 activity.) Mick Treacy (Oldham organiser and local election candidate) has five convictions for violence and theft. Colin Smith (South East London organiser) has amassed a total of 17 convictions for burglary, theft, stealing cars, possession of drugs and assaulting a police officer. Kevin Scott (North East Regional Organiser) convicted in 1993 for hurling a glass at a customer in a pub. Alan Gould (Waltham Forest Organiser) convicted in 2000 for racially abusing people in a local pub. Steve Smith (Burnley Organiser) convicted of election fraud and sentenced to jail for six months in 2002.

David Probert (BNP stalwart) has convictions for sending packets of excreta and pornography to councillors.

Darren Dobson (Oldham local election candidate) was found guilty of racially aggravated harassment and fined £300.

Robert Bennett (was in charge of distributing BNP leaflets in Oldham and Burnley) convicted for his part in a terrifying gang rape. Sentenced to five years in prison.

Many BNP supporters have been involved in football hooliganism including the BNP organisers for Darlington (Paul Thompson) and Swansea (Andrew Toose). Warren Bennett (Chief Steward) has convictions for football hooliganism. Several people who stood for the BNP in the 1999 European elections in Scotland are convicted Glasgow Rangers hooligans.

Soho nailbomber The BNP's most infamous member, David Copeland, was jailed for life for the London nailbombs that killed three people.

Combat 18 was launched by the BNP. 18 refers to the initials of Adolf Hitler, being the first and eighth letters of the alphabet. C18 supporters went on to post letter bombs, instigate football violence and carry out dozens of racist attacks.

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