Yorkshire: Police probe BNP link to car fire
anti-fascist | 21.11.2008 13:34 | Anti-racism | Sheffield
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/bradford/7741270.stm Police probe BNP link to car fire
Police are investigating a car fire near a house in West Yorkshire which was included in a leaked list of British National Party (BNP) members.
Police are investigating a car fire near a house in West Yorkshire which was included in a leaked list of British National Party (BNP) members.
The parked car exploded after being set alight late on Thursday night on Eighth Avenue in Windy Bank, Liversedge.
The BNP said none of its members lived in Eighth Avenue, although one of the houses in the road was on the leaked membership list published this week.
The car belonged to a neighbour of the person whose house was on the list.
Police investigating the car fire, in which nobody was hurt, said a possible link to the BNP list was just one line of inquiry.
A force spokesman said: "The cause of the damage and any potential motive all form part of the current investigation."
If this person has been targeted because his name has been on that list... it is a disgrace
David Exley, BNP's Kirklees organiser
The BNP's local organiser David Exley said none of the party's members lived in Eighth Avenue.
"I spoke to the police this morning and they confirmed that a car has been firebombed last night and one of the lines of inquiry is the person who lives next door to whose car it was is on the list on the internet.
"I can confirm that the gentleman, whose house the car was outside, is not a member of the BNP and is not a current supporter of the BNP.
"If this person has been targeted because his name has been on that list I feel it is very very sad, it is a disgrace."
Mr Exley said the list covered everybody who had ever contacted the BNP head office.
"It could be this man got an information pack, looked at it, decided it's not for him and thrown it away.
"But unfortunately somebody has irresponsibly put this list on the internet."
Charred debris
Eight houses in the road remained cordoned off by police on Friday.
A charred patch of debris was visible on the road and path outside one of the red brick semi-detached houses.
Eight people with Liversedge addresses are named on the BNP membership list which was leaked on the internet on Tuesday.
The BNP said the list of 12,000 activists, which included names, addresses, home telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, dated from 2007.
Party leader Nick Griffin has pledged to take court action against those behind the leak.
The parked car exploded after being set alight late on Thursday night on Eighth Avenue in Windy Bank, Liversedge.
The BNP said none of its members lived in Eighth Avenue, although one of the houses in the road was on the leaked membership list published this week.
The car belonged to a neighbour of the person whose house was on the list.
Police investigating the car fire, in which nobody was hurt, said a possible link to the BNP list was just one line of inquiry.
A force spokesman said: "The cause of the damage and any potential motive all form part of the current investigation."
If this person has been targeted because his name has been on that list... it is a disgrace
David Exley, BNP's Kirklees organiser
The BNP's local organiser David Exley said none of the party's members lived in Eighth Avenue.
"I spoke to the police this morning and they confirmed that a car has been firebombed last night and one of the lines of inquiry is the person who lives next door to whose car it was is on the list on the internet.
"I can confirm that the gentleman, whose house the car was outside, is not a member of the BNP and is not a current supporter of the BNP.
"If this person has been targeted because his name has been on that list I feel it is very very sad, it is a disgrace."
Mr Exley said the list covered everybody who had ever contacted the BNP head office.
"It could be this man got an information pack, looked at it, decided it's not for him and thrown it away.
"But unfortunately somebody has irresponsibly put this list on the internet."
Charred debris
Eight houses in the road remained cordoned off by police on Friday.
A charred patch of debris was visible on the road and path outside one of the red brick semi-detached houses.
Eight people with Liversedge addresses are named on the BNP membership list which was leaked on the internet on Tuesday.
The BNP said the list of 12,000 activists, which included names, addresses, home telephone numbers and e-mail addresses, dated from 2007.
Party leader Nick Griffin has pledged to take court action against those behind the leak.
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