Burnley BNP councillor tried to defraud insurance company

A serving Burnley councillor could face criminal charges after a civil court judge ruled he tried to defraud an insurance company.

Coun. Derek Dawson, the British National Party councillor for Gannow, made a claim against Zurich Insurance which would have initially been worth up to £30,000. The claim related to an accident in 2003 at Zurich customer Mr Stephen Hargreaves' house in Whalley, where it was alleged Coun. Dawson's severely fractured ankle was caused by a ladder being knocked onto his leg by a car driven by Mr Hargreaves.

As it was a civil trial no punishment was handed down by the court, but Zurich was granted permission to pursue Dawson and Hargreaves for Contempt of Court proceedings through the Attorney General. If successful, this will attract a criminal penalty.

But Burnley's BNP leader Coun. Sharon Wilkinson defended Coun. Dawson, calling him "an excellent councillor" and even questioned whether the judge was influenced by Dawson's "political persuasion".

During the case, which began last year before starting again this month, Deputy Circuit Judge John Morgan heard evidence at Burnley County Court, which proved the fracture was caused by Dawson falling off a ladder rather than Hargreaves' car knocking the ladder onto him.

Coun. Wilkinson said: "At the start of the case, the judge was made aware Derek was a BNP councillor. He then chose to believe the evidence of Zurich's expert engineer and not Derek's expert engineer as to how his injuries were caused. Whether the judge was influenced by Derek's political persuasion we can only speculate. Derek is an excellent councillor and I don't think this will affect his position."

But Burnley Council leader, Coun. Gordon Birtwistle called for Coun. Dawson's resignation saying: "Any councillor that attempts to commit fraud is not a fit and proper person to be a councillor."

Mr Stephen Langton, representing Hargreaves, appealed against the judge's decision, which was not granted. Mr Langton and Mr James Hurd, representing Dawson, also appealed against the imposition of court costs, but again the judge found in favour of Zurich. The costs, which are expected to run into tens of thousands of pounds, will be decided later.

Mr Simon McCann, representing Zurich, argued: "Dawson and Hargreaves colluded together to defraud Zurich. Fraudsters should not benefit."

Mr Scott Clayton, claims fraud and investigations manager for Zurich, said: "Fraud is something we take very seriously as this case shows. Unfortunately, some people will go to great lengths to secure financial gain. We challenge fraud because the costs in challenging these cases are spiralling at the expense of the honest customer."

Burnley Express

Disturbance after ex-Burnley BNP councillor's funeral

Police were called after reports that mourners were hurling objects off a Burnley bridge following the funeral of a former BNP councillor.

Officers arrived at the Yorkshire Street bridge at 9pm on Tuesday after being told around 40 youths were causing a disturbance. The mourners had attended the funeral of Luke Smith, 26, of Brunshaw Road, who was found dead last week, police said. The convicted football hooligan, who was forced to resign as a councillor after continued allegations of violence, was said to have been suffering from psychological problems when he appeared in court earlier this month charged with assault.

Sgt Phil Carter, of Burnley police, said: “Police dispersed the group on Tuesday soon after arriving and no arrests were made.”

It is believed the mourners had been drinking in the Lounge pub, in nearby Higgin Street, following Mr Smith’s funeral. Yesterday a large banner was hung from a bridge in Yorkshire Street with the message “Luke Smith lives forever”.

Speaking last week, Mr Smith’s uncle, Steve Smith, who was the BNP leader in Burnley when his nephew was elected, and is now leader of the far-right England First party, said: “He was a lovely, lovely lad who, like a lot of people, was just too sensitive to exist in what is effectively an extremely cruel world. Things had gone downhill for him.”

Mr Smith was 21 when he was elected as councillor for Lanehead ward, in May 2003. But he was suspended from the BNP less than three months later, after it emerged previous football-related violence had earned him a lifetime ban from Turf Moor, and he was alleged to have been fighting at the party’s Red, White and Blue festival in Sawley in July that year.

In September 2004, after a full investigation by the Standards Board for England, he was banned for three years from becoming a member of any council across the UK.

Earlier in 2004, the former gas engineer had been given a two-and-a-half year football banning order, and he was jailed for 11 months in March 2006, after breaching the order and being involved in football-related violence in Manchester, Blackpool and Burnley. His football banning order was extended to six years.

In his latest court appearance, on July 14, he was charged with assault after an attack on the landlord of the Princess Royal – the pub near where he was found dead.

Lancashire Telegraph

Police and British Legion probe 'appalling' BNP leaflet

A POLICE probe has been launched into a leaflet posted to homes across Burnley and Pendle which blames Muslims for the heroin trade in Britain.

A British National Party councillor from Pendle and a former Burnley BNP election candidate are named in the leaflet as endorsing the views.

Councillors have called for Coun Brian Norton Parker, a BNP councillor for the Marsden ward in Nelson, to quit.

But both he and John Rowe, a former BNP candidate for Rosegrove with Lowerhouse in Burnley, have spoken out in support of the leaflet.

Colleagues on Pendle Council are now considering reporting Coun Parker to their watchdog, the Standards Board, on suspicion of bringing the authority into disrepute.

Police have confirmed that an investigation has been launched into the leaflets - of which hundreds were delivered to homes - after a number of complaints were lodged with Lancashire Constabulary.

The question of whether the leaflets amount to incitement to religious hatred is now being considered by Crown Prosecution Service lawyers.

Another inquiry looks set to be launched by the Royal British Legion, as the leaflets claim to be a 'Preston Pals' publication.

The Pals represent a Lancashire regiment,the 5th Battalion, which endured heavy casualties in the First World War.

Coun George Adams, chairman of the legion's Nelson and district branch, said he was furious that the organisation's name has been linked to the "racist" flyer.

The Walvderden councillor told a meeting of Pendle Council's Nelson committee: "I am asking if Coun Brian Norton Parker will distance himself from the leaflet as his name is on it."

Insp Russ Procter, of Lancashire Police, who was also in attendance at the meeting, said: "This leaflet has been distributed around Burnley, Pendle and Preston.

"I am also aware that this leaflet has been distributed in the Brentwood Road area and we have had a number of calls about it and we have passed this on to our hate crime unit.

"There is now a file which has been submitted to the Crown Prosecution Service.

"There are a number of residents who have been concerned."

Coun David Foster, Nelson committee chairman, added: "I think it is absolutely appalling that that sort of leaflet is being put out."

But Coun Parker declined to dissociate himself from the leaflet or its contents.

Coun Parker said: "I have been asked to apologise for it but I think that the heroin trade has to be highlighted because it causes so many deaths.

"One person dies every day in Scotland, I have read, because of heroin.

"This is a campaign by my colleague Tony Bamber which I support if it highlights the number of deaths from heroin."

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Rowe, of Cowper Street, Burnley, said: "I do not think that this (leaflet) is unreasonable."

A note on the leaflet says it had been produced by a Tony Bamber of Preston.

Burnley and Pendle Citizen


Police probe into BNP heroin leaflet

A British National Party member could face police investigations after he distributed hundreds of leaflets across Preston which blame Muslims for the heroin trade in Britain.

Tony Bamber, who stood in local elections for the BNP in Tulketh ward in 2006, denied being solely responsible for the distribution of the leaflets but admitted he was involved.

Mr Bamber, 52, said: "The leaflets are not making a comment about the Islamic religion, they are making a statement about the activities of Muslims.

"The leaflets were made by Preston Pals, a group of concerned indigenous people in the city."

The question of whether the leaflets amount to incitement to religious hatred is now being considered by the Crown Prosecution Service.

Detective Sergeant Graham Gallagher, head of the Hate Crime Diversity unit at the Lancashire Constabulary, said: "This leaflet has been distributed around Preston, Burnley, and Pendle.

"We received a number of complaints after the leaflet was distributed to a number of addresses and we have now submitted a file to the Crown Prosecution Service to see if we have sufficient evidence to progress with our inquiry."

Another inquiry looks set to be launched by the Royal British Legion, as the leaflets claim to be a Preston Pals' publication.

The Pals represent a Lancashire regiment - the 5th Battalion - which endured heavy casualties in the First World War.

Mr Bamber, whose name appears on the leaflet, said he would continue distributing them.

Preston and Leyland Citizen