A BRITISH National Party leader could go to jail after he admitted falsifying signatures on election nomination papers.

The police investigation into forged signatures proposing BNP candidates led to all six of the party's candidates for the county council elections being withdrawn from the contest.

Steven Smith, of West View, Cliviger, was prosecuted for a number of offences under the Representation of the People Act (1983).

It is thought to be the first time that anyone in the country has been charged under new legislation that came into force in February.

Smith pleaded guilty to all six charges at Burnley Magistrates court involving the forging a total of 12 signatures on nomination papers for four candidates standing in the county council elections.

Magistrates told Smith, Burnley and Pendle organiser for the BNP, that they viewed the matters very seriously and custody was a very real possibility.

The case was adjourned until January 16, 2002, for pre-sentence reports.

Smith was not legally represented at court, but spoke to confirm his name and address and that he pleaded guilty to the charges.

In his defence Smith, an accountant, said that he sometimes filled in the forms on the basis of "intuition" and that all of the forged signatures were of known supporters of the party.

He said that because of this and because he was short of time he completed and submitted the forms himself.

Each candidate standing in county elections must have a total of ten signatures on their nomination papers.

A proposer, a seconder and eight assenters must sign each of the papers.

When examined by the Crown Prosecution Service, it was revealed that 12 of the signatures were false, the court was told.

The court said that included in those signatures was the name of a Burnley Labour Party member, Eileen Rawlinson.

Mrs Rawlinson noticed that her name had appeared on one of the nomination forms and subsequently complained to the Town Hall. They in turn contacted the police, and an investigation was launched.

After the case, Mrs Rawlinson said: "I have no connections with and never have had w ith the British National Party.

"I was very shocked to learn that my name had been forged on one of the nomination papers.

"Anyone standing for election should be able to find ten legitimate people who know them well who will sign for them without having to resort to forgery.

"I hope this case will stop other people from engaging in an illegal practice in the future."

Smith, who owns the Burnley Heritage Centre in St James Street, told the court that he would like to offer his "sincere apologies" to the court.

In mitigation he said: "If my background is of relevance, it is perhaps worth mentioning that over the years I have done quite a lot of charity work.

"I often have exhibitions in my business premises of local history and I am quite well known to the local historians in the town."

During the course of the investigation, Smith attended Burnley Police Station voluntarily on a number of occasions to assist detectives with their enquiries.

He was also the BNP candidate for the General Election in June, when he polled 4,151 votes.

After the hearing on e of the candidates whose nomination papers scrutinised, Deputy organiser for the BNP in Burnley and Pendle, Simon Bennett said: "He's got himself into a bit of trouble, but we all learn from our mistakes."