ERIC Leaver's warning (LET, February 5) to Labour councillors against making the British National Party a martyr by excluding them from council sites would be perfectly true if it was correct.

The truth is that a motion to council made no mention of the BNP or of banning or excluding any organisation. It did propose a set of minimum standards which every organisation would need to meet during usage of council-owned buildings.

Admittedly, some would find them harder to meet than others.

Six speakers spoke in favour of the motion, including two Liberal Democrat and four Labour, none mentioned ban or exclusion. Four spoke against, including three Conservatives.

Surprisingly, BNP councillor Evans reminded us of the sanctity of importance of European law. Two of the Conservative speakers interpreted the motion as banning the BNP, hence the headline: 'BNP may be banned from council sites' on your report (LET, January 31).

To those who may choose to spin or misinterpret the motion for whatever reason, I would ask them the following: If BNP sympathisers repeated the brutal and cowardly attack they made causing mayhem and injury at an anti-apartheid meeting in Blackburn Library in 1993, how should the council respond?

Equally, if the fundamentalist Muslim cleric Abu Hamaz was to repeat the statement that "God was punishing the US" with the space shuttle disaster -- a comment which led to dismissal from the post -- would that be considered unacceptable or freedom of speech?

The standards would apply equally to a fundamentalist religious extremist organisation or any other organisation.

If the council instigates a policy which gives due and proper warning, which they expect every organisation to meet during use of public buildings, then why should Conservative councillors or anyone else try to make the British National Party an exception?

COUN DON RISHTON, Wensley Fold Ward, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.