THE leader of the British National Party today said the party was aiming to take control of Burnley Council in 2004.

Speaking after his party became the official opposition in Burnley, Nick Griffin said the BNP was committed to becoming the main party in the town.

He said: "We are not a one issue flash in the pan party and our eight seats in Burnley prove that. I think we have got a very good chance of taking taking control of Burnley Council.

"Maybe next year is a touch optimistic, but perhaps we have got a chance."

Mr Griffin reiterated that the BNP's ultimate aim was for an all white Britain, but claimed Asians in Burnley had nothing to fear.

Labour party bosses will be all too aware that the BNP is capable of running them a close second in most parts of the town. Labour fielded 16 candidates in the election and got 8,784 votes. The BNP fielded 13 candidates, getting 8,545 votes.

Mr Griffin continued: "People voting for the BNP know exactly what they are getting. Out absolute ideal is an all white Britain.

"We want to get as near to that as possible by consent. The Home Office has already made money available for people who want to leave the country, we would simply increase that.

"But if people are happy to abide by our ways we would be happy to let them stay as our permanent guests.

"Across the whole of multicultural Britain there is an issue that the white British majority are second class citizens. What is called positive discrimination for one group is simply discrimination against another.

"I would say that the Asian community in Burnley, and all over Britain, have got the Labour party and the Liberal Democrats. Now the white people have us rooting for them, but we will work with everyone", he added.

Mr Griffin came to Burnley to meet his new councillors. He claimed that a disillusionment with Burnley Council and the mainstream political parties had played into the BNP's hands.

That was borne out by people who gathered at BNP councillors Len Starr's shop.

Coun Starr himself said he was not an extremist, he simply wanted to concentrate on local issues. He said: "We want to get ourselves organised and concentrate on what people need.

"I think it is important that people have an opportunity to express a different point of view."

Sharon Wilkinson, a 42-year-old business woman from Hapton, said she had voted for the BNP because she felt local people were being ignored. She added: "I have always been Labour and my parents were always Labour. I am not an extremist, absolutely not."

After meeting people in Hapton and Padiham Nick Griffin said he would be talking to his Burnley party members to congratulate them on their campaign.