THIRTEEN British National Party candidates have launched an attempt to gain a seat on Burnley Council at next month's local elections.

In response, members of Burnley and Pendle Anti-Nazi League and their supporters are to campaign to raise awareness of the BNP's policies and beliefs by distributing leaflets in Burnley in the run up to the vote on May 2.

The BNP move came after they claimed high levels of support during last year's elections.

The party will also field five candidates in Oldham, another town affected by racial disturbances last summer.

Various councillors and opposition parties expressed their views on the BNP's nominations at a press conference yesterday at Briercliffe Community Centre on Jubilee Street, Briercliffe.

Burnley and Pendle Anti-Nazi League member Helen Christie, who organised the event, said: "The ANL has been active in the area since the BNP's first attempts to seize seats in 1992.

"The BNP seeks to find division which will harm Burnley if they are given a place on the council. Many people in Burnley lost members of their families in the fight against fascism in the Second World War."

Roger Frost, Burnley Council Liberal Democrat leader and councillor for Briercliffe, said: "What concerns me is the damage it would do to Burnley if they were successful.

"People should think very carefully how they vote."

Gray Holden, a local representative of the National Association of Teachers in Further and Higher Education (NATFHE) claimed the BNP had exploited towns like Burnley when its economy took a nosedive.

Socialist Alliance candidate Tess McMahon added: "They play on people's insecurities about housing, jobs and the environment they're living in and encourage people to blame others for their problems."

Charlotte Smith, ANL organiser, said the next stage of the campaign would be to distribute leaflets in the run up to the election with an extra push on Saturday April 13 backed by Burnley Traders' Council and European anti-fascist group Searchlight when extra people would be enlisted to help out.

"We will probably also be talking to people outside polling stations on election day and have a presence outside the town hall for the count. However, we'll have to determine that nearer the time," she said.