Mum's fury over 'race hate campaign'

A mum is furious a picture of her dead daughter is being used in a "race hate campaign."

Pauline Holcroft allowed several educational campaigns for schoolchildren to use the shocking image of her 21-year-old daughter, Rachel Whitear, taken three days after she overdosed on heroin in May 2000, to prevent other deaths.

But Pauline and husband Mick were horrified to discover the picture had also been published on more than 3,000 anti-Muslim leaflets distributed in Tulketh, Preston, and in the Lancashire villages of Great Eccleston, St Michaels and Chipping.

Mrs Holcroft said: "I am furious to think her picture is being used like this – we have only ever intended it for educational purposes."

The leaflet shows the now infamous picture of Rachel slumped in the foetal position, and makes unsubstantiated accusations about the Muslim community and the world's heroin trade.

Mrs Holcroft added: "It's such a blanket statement. I think it incites racial hatred. I just hope no-one thinks we or any of our family and friends support theseviews. We would never have allowed its use in something like this.

"It is really upsetting because it could land on the doorstep of our relatives in Ormskirk.We never saw her death as a political matter and it has been used without any consultation with ourselves."

The man behind the literature is Tony Bamber, of Greenbank Street, Plungington in Preston, who says he is a member of the British National Party.

He refused to confirm that he had sought Rachel's parent's permission to use the image.

Lancashire Police have received several complaints and are investigating the matter.

Lancashire Evening Post

[NB - Tony Bamber IS a member of the BNP. See also http://norfolkunity.blogspot.com/2008/03/police-and-british-legion-probe.html. We also note that sick lunatic Lee Barnes, BNP legal advisor and long-term sickness benefit claimant, is using stolen images of Rachel in another anti-Muslim rant. Perhaps the police might be interested in that, too?]