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Search forLeaked BNP list reveals local members
Thursday, November 20, 2008, 07:00
A full list of members appeared on an Internet blog before it was removed following complaints from the far right group's leader Nick Griffin.
According to the BNP, the published list is based on its 2007 membership, although it says a number of names of people who were not or are not party members were added.
The list of more than 12,000 names nationally included addresses and contact details, as well as members' jobs.
Some were listed as police officers and members of the British armed forces.
In a statement, posted on the BNP's website, Mr Griffin said: "We'll be asking the police to investigate. It's a list that is now more than a year old.
"Having spent a lot of money to secure our members' privacy, we are disappointed it has been breached."
Mr Griffin described the publication as "a disgraceful act of treachery" by former BNP staff members who had subsequently been sacked.
He said he had lodged a complaint with Dyfed-Powys police on the grounds the publication breached human rights and data protection laws.
Earlier this year, the party said that it obtained orders to try to prevent the list being made public.
The Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) last night confirmed serving police officers were not allowed to be members of the BNP.
Peter Fahy, Greater Manchester Police chief constable and Acpo's workforce development spokesman, said: "Membership or promotion of the BNP by any member of the police service, whether police officer or police staff, is prohibited.
"This is because such membership would be incompatible with our duty to promote equality under the Race Relations Amendment Act and would damage the confidence of minority communities.
"While the policy may have been controversial at the time it was enacted, in 2004, it has since been accepted by all staff and staff associations and remains unchallenged thus far."
The Mail has decided not to print names of individuals because of privacy issues.
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