BNP accused over election papers

British National Party candidates are under investigation by Scotland Yard after allegations that their election documents were improperly obtained.

Officers have launched an inquiry into forms submitted by all seven BNP candidates standing in Bexley following claims by at least six people that they were unaware they were helping the extremists.

Police officers are expected to contact all the signatories.

Like all potential councillors, each of the seven candidates running in Bexley was required to produce 10 supporting signatures from residents of the wards they seek to represent.

One woman who signed the BNP nomination form said: "There was a knock at the door and a man said he needed signatures to help this man stand against the other candidates in the local elections. He gave me some paper to read. It said nothing anywhere about the British National Party."

Although the offence of allegedly duping people into endorsing the candidates may appear relatively minor, it could prove to be a crime under the Representation of the People Act 1983, which attracts penalties of up to two years in jail.

The Evening Standard can also reveal that one of the seven candidates, Jay Lee, 33, is facing a separate police investigation into claims that he harassed and made a threatening gesture to an anti-racist protester. Last night his wife, Claire Sayers, who is also a candidate, said she knew nothing of the complaint.

The BNP is alleged to have misled local residents into signing nomination papers by failing to tell them they were for BNP candidates.

Many signatures were collected by Colin Smith, a BNP candidate who is also the agent to other candidates.

He could not be contacted last night but last week he told a local newspaper: "I collected all the nominations myself and I cannot see how someone could sign something without knowing what it was."

The most concerted push outside London is in Burnley and Oldham. In each town, the party won 11 per cent of the votes in last year's general election by exploiting local racial tensions.

In a chilling warning, the BNP's Oldham campaign chief Mick Treacy predicted that any victory for his party, would trigger fresh rioting.